“Bud Mahurin was the only Air Force pilot to shoot down enemy aircraft in the European theater of operations and the Pacific and in Korea,” [Doug] Lantry [a historian at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio] told the Los Angeles Times. “He was known as a very courageous, skilled and tenacious fighter pilot.”
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His knowledge of the resistance made his potential capture in Europe too dangerous and he was grounded, but would fly again in the Phillipines and finished the war with over 20 aerial victories. His later service in the Korean War brought the number to 24.
I have not been able to find an obit online yet, but a reliable source emailed me that noted aviation writer Robert J. Serling has passed away. This seems to be confirmed by his memorial site and Wikipedia. I’m planning to update this post as I find out more information.
Edited to add: NYT obit here. Comments forthcoming later today or tonight.