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Vic Rizzo and the Air Section
George Peszat ended the war as the most decorated individual in the battalion. He
had the Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters. An Oak Leaf Cluster is awarded in lieu
of another medal of the same kind you have already received. The Air Medal was
awarded to Air Corps personnel for every five combat sorties, or to artillery flying
personnel for twenty-five sorties. Simple arithmetic would show that Peszat flew on at
least 225 missions in combat. Pilots Rizzo and Kilmer each earned enough Oak Leaf
Clusters to make a wreath, too. An impressive record, especially considering that there
were many days during the fall and winter when the weather shut down visibility so far
that even our doughty little Cubs could not fly.
In addition to the danger from enemy fire, our little planes were subject to an
unexpected hazard - friendly fire, in fact fire from the very artillery they were directing. It
is probably best described in Vic Rizzo's own words.
… An unusual flight, in that we both learned artillery shells can be
followed in flight. Those "bumps" we felt were NOT air pockets - but
shells on their way to target.
After noting the phenomena, I increased altitude to be above the
next barrage. Days earlier, a similar, unfortunate situation caused the death
of one of our pilots at Div Arty. I believe his last name was Howard.
After we landed, I worked out a chart of trajectories at different
ranges, different charges, and alerted other 90th TO pilots to such
imminent danger. After a week or so, it automatically resolved itself to fly
low at short gun-to-target ranges and to fly high at long target range; and
in between to cross our fingers.
In the following chapter I describe a confused action when a German Panzer
Brigade stumbled into our Division and Division Artillery command posts. As an
aftermath, several enemy Panther tanks were lost and roaming around our rear areas.
George Peszat, flying with pilot George Kilmer, called for fire on one of them. Our fire
direction center refused the request because it was in our own ground and the fire might
endanger friendly troops. Frustrated, Kilmer flew low above the dazed tank and both
Georges emptied their pistols at it. I don't believe that affected the thick armor of the
Panther much.
I hope I have not given the impression that observing and conducting fire were the
only duties performed by our Air Section. Those were their primary jobs, but they proved
useful in other capacities too. On occasion, particularly during the Moselle crossing in
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