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OLDS, Colonel Robin

8th A.F.
[crossed out]N 76[end crossed out
N.Y
Check add.

If wish to
interview check with
Frances Ward of Reader's
Digest for correct
address.

Box 17, #10

8th AIR FORCE
434th FIGHTER SQUADRON, 497th Fighter Group

[*Dead*]

FLIGHT OVER
"Flew cover missions from dawn to dark. Our beautiful P-38's were painted during
the night of the 5th with ghastly black and white stripes. We were sorry not to see the
Luftwaffe show up, but you may charge that to youthful exhuberance. The only flak we picked
up was fired by thr US Navy.

JOB [*FROM DIARY EXTRACT
"Our job consisted of close-in escord of the boats and a tremendous sight it was. As far
as the eye could see the Straits of Dover were covered with every conceivable type of vessel.
From small landing boats to huge battleships, the Invasion Force lay stretched out under us.
I never hope to be priveledge to get a better seat for such a show. Our airplanes covered
thousands of square miles...Already we have set up landing strips in the Cherbourg Penin.
and the boys in the NINTH af are using them as of noon today....Today our squadron has
been doing shuttle runs on the patroling and we have had a constant force of ships over
our assigned area...From our position we can see the mother ships discharge troops into the
landing barges, and watch the barges crawl in an orderly formation for the smoke-laden
shore and then finally disappear in the murk of dust, smoke and explosions. All the while
the battleships were pouring in their heavy stuff. We could easily follow the progress of
our troops by watching where the big shells from our ships hit. God, I would hate to be a
German soldier down there. Not one of his beloved Luftwaffe came up to bother us. It must
bexterrible for them to look up into the sky and see thousands and thousands of our planes
lazily patrolling back and forth, to see thousands more cover over to lay their eggs, and
to feel the blast of the units ground strafing. But the devils asked for it and they
are certainly getting what they asked for."