P-51D-20 44-63483 of Maj. Robert W. Moore, CO Of the 45th FS, Iwo Jima, Summer 1945

In March of 1945, the group began the taxing Very Long Range escort missions shepherding B-29's to mainland Japan and back. In addition to that the VLR pilot had to face 1,000 miles of over water flight, treacherous wind currents, and horrendous storm fronts, not to mention flack and enemy fighters.