flak

This is the USS Enterprise (CV-6) on October 26, 1942, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
See:
www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-e/cv6-a.htm

Photo #: 80-G-20989 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, October 1942 U.S. Navy ships firing at attacking Japanese carrier aircraft during the battle, 26 October 1942. USS Enterprise (CV-6) is at left, with at least two enemy planes visible overhead. In the right center is USS South Dakota, firing her starboard 5"/38 secondary battery, as marked by the bright flash amidships. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 129KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. Thanks, TVL1970!

Swede is somewhere up there, tangling with a flight of Vals by himself and destroying five in a matter of less than a minute. At the time, they called this "The USS Enterprise vs the Imperial Japanese Navy" because she was the only carrier we had operating in the Pacific at the time - the rest were sunk or out of action.

grace!

are we able to ... or have we lost this kind of courage?

Interesting history to this aircraft as per Joe Baughers website. 44-63869 P-51D 355th FG, 358th FS, 8th AF; code YF-U. "Elionne / Passions Playground" (165th FS, Kentucky ANG) crashed near Franklin, KY Jan 7, 1948 during attempted intercept of UFO. Pilot Capt Thomas Mantell killed. This incident is legendary in the folklore of UFOs and flying saucers. The usual explanation was that Capt Mantell was trying to reach a Skyhook balloon (which was highly secret at the time) and lost consciousness due to a failure of his oxygen system and crashed.