Excerpt p.270

Lt FREDERICO GUSTAVO DOS SANTOS

Twenty year old Lt. Santos flew 44 missions… On April 13, 1945, he was assigned to attack ammunition depots in Spilambergo, between Casarsa and Udine. The Blue flight arrived at the objective, at the expected hour. … Each member of the squadron attacked a target. A depot of about 500 demolition bombs of 1,000 pounds each was assigned to Santos.
ike lightening he took off to attack. His fearlessness made him get too close to the ammunition depot, as he shot with the 8 machine guns of his Thunderbolt. The explosion encircled the plane, blowing out the left wing. It went out of control and turned over onto the longitudinal axis as if doing a slow roll or tounneaux, and it was at this moment when all was lost that this brave boy tried to save himself. He pushed out the canopy and jumped from the plane. There was not sufficient height for a parachute jump but, if he had stayed in command he would have been swallowed up by the second explosion when the P-47 caught fire when touching the soil. He still reasoned in this fraction of a second, taking his chances of getting out alive. He did not succeed. ... Even in his final moments, he fought with a serene mind, using all means to avoid a premature end.

… Thus, this boy died, seventeen days before the war operation ceased in the Mediterranean Theatre.… After the armistice, Brazilian Army Officers were assigned to find our dead in the Po Valley. In a shallow grave, Santos’ body was found. He was tenderly buried by the Germans. On the cross of the tomb was his identification – the widely known dog tag – with his name, rank, number and blood type. The Germans also carefully put a bronze plate on cross with the following words:

Who wrote such beautiful words could not be a Nazi, but a true German soldier. A man. In my name and that of all of us in the 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron, our heartfelt thanks to the author of such a dignified gesture.
Bronze Cross







Excerpt p.410
Lt ALBERTO MARTINS TORRES
(the lucky one)

He completed 99 attack missions plus one defensive…. It looked like things were set up for him to complete 100 missions. Torres was born in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A. in 1919, son of a Brazilian Diplomat, Torres went from Virginia to St. Louis, Missouri. From there he went to Barbados. After that he came to Brazil. One day, he went to Constantinople because his father, Sr. Aluizio Martins Torres was assigned to represent Brazil in Turkey.
For the sake of convenience, his father sent him to Elementary School in Munich, Germany, so he spoke Portuguese, English, Turkish, German, Spanish and French. He began to learn Italian. … Between Kelly Field and Randolph Field, he obtained the Silver Wing as an American Military pilot.
… He came back to Brazil and joined FAB (Brazilian Air Force). He flew 64 anti-submarine missions in the South Atlantic. It was his luck to be chosen on July 31, 1943, a day that should have been his day off, to command the Catalina that attacked the only German submarine sunk by FAB. Is he or not a lucky one? The submarine that was sunk was the U-199. The combat took place 60 miles south of the Sugar Loaf. When the few crewmen of the U-199 that were left from the combat threw themselves in the water abandoning the submarine, Torres threw them a rubber raft. … Exactly 12 Germans were saved, including the Commander. For this deed, he received the American award for bravery, the Distinguished Flying Cross.
… In the beginning of 1944, he volunteered to fight in Italy. He distinguished himself for everything that he is: good buddy, good pilot, good character and excellent friend. … For bravery, he gained another Distinguished Flying Cross. His mission with the 10th Mountain Division of the USA was impeccable.