A-2 Flight Jacket Group of an Air Gunner “Ace”

A group consisting of the A-2 leather flight jacket and related memorabilia of Army Air Force aerial gunner Angelo J. Zangari of Hartford, Connecticut. Zangari enlisted in the army on January 11, 1942, just a few weeks after Pearl Harbor, at the age of 19. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations as an aerial gunner on “Torrid Tessie the Terror”, a B-25 bomber of the 71st Bomb Squadron, 38th Bomb Group, 5th Army Air Force. During his tour of duty in the Pacific Zangari flew 53 combat missions as an aerial gunner, was officially credited with shooting down 8 Japanese planes, and was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with oak leaf clusters, and two Purple Hearts. This group consists of the following items:
– Zangari’s A-2 leather flight jacket, size 36, with painted leather patch on the left breast. The patch depicts a fire-breathing cat riding a bomb, which was the early insignia of the 71st Bomb Squadron, before it adopted the insignia of a drooling wolf. The jacket shows interior wear, with a tear in the lining at the collar area. The zipper pull will come off of the zipper if pulled all the way down, but the pull and the zipper still function. The jacket leather is very clean and supple and in overall excellent condition, and the ribbed knit cuffs and waistband are in very good condition as well.
– A-4 wool one piece flight suit, size 34.
– Aviator sunglasses with hard case.
– Army Air Force headset, type 49510, in very good used condition.
– Zangari’s sterling silver full size 3 inch aerial gunner wings, pin back.
– Two original black and white photographs, 2 1/4 by 3 1/4 inches in size, one of which is a group picture of four that includes Zangari wearing the A-2 flight jacket offered here, with the same squadron patch on the left breast. Note that the airman next to Zangari also wears an A-2 jacket, but with the later “Drooling Wolf” insignia of the 71st Bomb Squadron. The other photo shows a B-25 bomber in flight.
– 8 photographs that are themselves copies of photographs showing Torrid Tessie the Terror and her crew. One of the photographs shows Zangari sitting on a ladder outside of the cockpit and pointing to the emblems on the plane reflecting three of his “kills” as the plane’s air gunner.
– A photocopy of Zangari’s Silver Star citation, awarded for gallantry in aerial flight on August 21, 1943.
– Numerous photocopies of newspaper articles about Zangari that were compiled by his family during the war. The articles report on Zangari’s multiple aerial victories, the award to him of various decorations and, finally, his safe return home.
A large and complete group, in overall excellent condition, of an exceptionally courageous and successful Army Air Force bomber gunner.