| Quentin C. Aanenson | |
| Birth Date: | 21 April 1921 |
| Birth Place: | Luverne, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Placeofburial: | Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.[1] |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | U.S. Army Air Forces |
| Serviceyears: | 1942–1945 |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Unit: | 391st Fighter Squadron 366th Fighter Group 9th Air Force |
| Battles: | World War II |
Quentin C. Aanenson (April 21, 1921 – December 28, 2008) was a World War II veteran fighter pilot and former captain of the 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force, Army Air Forces. He flew the P-47 Thunderbolt in the Normandy D-Day invasion and subsequent European campaign.[2]
Originally from Luverne, Minnesota,[3] Aanenson enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 but was not called up to active duty until February 1943. He left for Santa Ana Air Force Base for pre-flight training and then to Primary Flight School at Thunderbird Field near Phoenix, Arizona. In September 1943, he attended Basic Flight School at Gardner Field near Bakersfield, California. Aanenson then received Advanced Flight Training at Luke Field, Phoenix, Arizona, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant on January 7, 1944. From January to May 1944, he trained at Harding Field in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he met his wife Jackie.[2] [4]
Aanenson demonstrated exceptional courage and ability as a fighter pilot, amassing tens of kills and beating all odds to survive the early months of his tour of duty.[5] Later in the war, he was taken out of the cockpit and embedded with advance troops, with his skills put to good use as a quick-response aircraft attack coordinator. He eventually documented his experiences for his family.[2] This was later turned into a documentary video, A Fighter Pilot's Story, which Aanenson wrote, produced and narrated. The film was first televised on November 12, 1993, then broadcast on over 300 public television stations in June 1994.[6] The documentary reported a remarkable coincidence, in which Aanenson's P-47 was called down to assist some American troops under attack by a tank. He surveyed the scene, then reported to the troops that the tank was too close to them for him to fire upon it without risking injury to the Americans. However, since the soldiers were sure to be killed if the tank wasn't stopped, Aanenson decided to attack, and he managed to destroy the tank cleanly. About two years after the war, Aanenson met a new neighbor who started to recount the story. About halfway through, Aanenson finished the memorable event for him, and for a time they both shared in the emotion of the event.[6]
Aanenson was a Commander of the French Legion of Honor, representing all Americans who served in France. He was also featured in the documentary The War by Ken Burns, recounting his experiences during World War II as a fighter pilot. At the conclusion of Episode Five of the series, Aanenson narrated a poignant and ominous letter he had written to his future wife but had never sent, considered by some critics to be of similar style to the Sullivan Ballou letter in Burns' The Civil War. Written December 5, 1944, the letter reads:[2] [4]
According to the PBS website, Quentin and Jackie married after the war and had three children and eight grandchildren. He worked in the insurance field after graduating from Louisiana State University.
Aanenson died from cancer at his home in Bethesda, Maryland, on December 28, 2008, aged 87.[2] He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.[3]
The painting Thunderbolt Patriot by William R. Farrell, now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution of the National Air and Space Museum, depicts Aanenson having just returned from a combat mission over Germany during World War II.
The airfield at Luverne Municipal Airport (KLYV) was named Quentin Aanenson Field in his honor.[7]