he lost his wingman on his very first combat mission. he understood the risk. he knew firsthand the heavy task of gathering a friend s personal effects and writing a letter to the next of kin. john went on to fly 140 combat missions in two wars. he never shirked from danger. drew enemy fire like a meg net giving rise to a more infamous nickname which i can t repeat here. he shot down three migs, and on two occasions he landed with more than 250 bullet holes in his airplane, but the man himself was bulletproof. john s exemplary service in two wars earned him a slot as a test pilot. his most memorable mission was to fly super sonic across the country and set the world speed record. it was to test the durability of engines in continuous