1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:09,010 --> 00:00:11,250 Bud Anderson was one of the most 3 00:00:11,250 --> 00:00:13,472 prolific flying aces of World War II on 4 00:00:13,472 --> 00:00:16,719 the American side . He had 16.25 aerial 5 00:00:16,719 --> 00:00:18,989 victories in really just a short time . 6 00:00:19,409 --> 00:00:21,649 Uh , from his first missions to his 7 00:00:21,649 --> 00:00:24,049 last , he had an assertiveness and 8 00:00:24,049 --> 00:00:26,105 aggressiveness that was necessary in 9 00:00:26,105 --> 00:00:28,329 fighter pilots , and he was the highest 10 00:00:28,329 --> 00:00:30,819 scoring ace of a squadron and a group 11 00:00:31,010 --> 00:00:33,010 that were themselves among the most 12 00:00:33,010 --> 00:00:35,121 successful in the European campaign . 13 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:38,729 The idea of the air power theorists at 14 00:00:38,729 --> 00:00:41,130 the time was that with the development 15 00:00:41,130 --> 00:00:43,439 of air power , perhaps you can defeat 16 00:00:43,439 --> 00:00:45,606 your enemy without ever facing them in 17 00:00:45,606 --> 00:00:47,606 the field . You can fly over them , 18 00:00:47,606 --> 00:00:49,717 over their front lines , attack their 19 00:00:49,717 --> 00:00:51,550 industrial base , and if you can 20 00:00:51,550 --> 00:00:53,810 destroy it . That could destroy their 21 00:00:53,810 --> 00:00:56,209 capability to wage war and the war 22 00:00:56,209 --> 00:00:59,560 would end . Around the time that Bud 23 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,119 Anderson and his generation of trained 24 00:01:02,119 --> 00:01:04,119 pilots had moved into the field and 25 00:01:04,119 --> 00:01:06,286 were getting their assignments , a new 26 00:01:06,286 --> 00:01:08,063 type of aircraft was also being 27 00:01:08,063 --> 00:01:10,063 assigned as well , and this was the 28 00:01:10,063 --> 00:01:12,230 P-51 Mustang . This was among the most 29 00:01:12,230 --> 00:01:14,286 important American fighters of World 30 00:01:14,286 --> 00:01:16,559 War II , particularly in the realm of 31 00:01:16,559 --> 00:01:20,404 bomber . It had a range and a series 32 00:01:20,404 --> 00:01:22,515 of capabilities that matched anything 33 00:01:22,515 --> 00:01:24,737 that the Germans could throw up against 34 00:01:24,737 --> 00:01:27,084 it , and it proved a key weapon to 35 00:01:27,084 --> 00:01:29,251 protect the bombers in their strategic 36 00:01:29,251 --> 00:01:31,195 mission . The Mustang , the P-51 , 37 00:01:31,485 --> 00:01:33,541 longest range fighter in the world , 38 00:01:33,605 --> 00:01:36,004 speed , fast climb , quick dive , tight 39 00:01:36,004 --> 00:01:38,915 turn , a fighter pilot's dream . The 40 00:01:38,915 --> 00:01:41,026 overall goal of the strategic bombing 41 00:01:41,026 --> 00:01:43,364 campaign was to cripple the German 42 00:01:43,364 --> 00:01:46,610 military industry . Cripple the 43 00:01:46,610 --> 00:01:48,832 factories , the production capabilities 44 00:01:48,832 --> 00:01:50,777 that they could use to field their 45 00:01:50,777 --> 00:01:53,169 forces and secure the skies in order to 46 00:01:53,169 --> 00:01:55,449 allow an invasion of continental Europe 47 00:01:55,449 --> 00:01:58,010 that eventually we know as D-Day . If 48 00:01:58,010 --> 00:01:59,954 it wasn't for American air power , 49 00:01:59,954 --> 00:02:01,843 D-Day was not going to be able to 50 00:02:01,843 --> 00:02:05,599 happen . And of all the aces of World 51 00:02:05,599 --> 00:02:08,440 War II , uh , Bud Anderson was the last . 52 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,000 He was the last triple ace of the Army 53 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,759 Air Forces , uh , and having lived 54 00:02:14,759 --> 00:02:18,399 until 102 years old , uh , he now has 55 00:02:18,399 --> 00:02:21,000 been formally laid to rest in Arlington 56 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,279 and has joined the pantheon of American 57 00:02:23,279 --> 00:02:24,240 military heroes .