[Steve1971]

The other night my freind and I were talking about Marines Dream. He had recently seen her up close and personal and said she was the best restoration of a Corsair he had ever seen but he was a little miffed about the fact that the previous owner said it wore the exact markings of the Corsair flown by Marine Ace Col Ken Walsh. We went through some pics of Ken Walsh I had and in none of them did we see him flying a Corsair named Marines Dream and none of his F4U's had the Number 19 on the fusalge, he flew the number 13. My freind and I did find however that the late Lt Archie Donahue did fly a Corsair named Marines Dream that did wear the number 19! There was also a member of VMF 214, the famous Black Sheep, that also flew a Corsair with the number 19 on it and it had on the cowling Marines Dream. But from what we learned Ken Walsh never flew a Corsair named Marines Dream with the number 19 on it but Archie Donahue did as did a member of the Black Sheep Squadron.

We also talked at length about VF-17, the famous Navy Squadron commanded by Col Tom Blackburn. Its sad in reality that VF-17 never gets mentioned very often. It was VF-17 that proved the Corsair could fly from carriers as they flew from the Bunker Hill in late 1943! They were also the group that thought up the bomb rigs for the Corsair and many other things which no one even thinks to mention. To bad a movie was never made about these guys because they proved the Corsair was a winner and carrier qualified from the very beginning. If any of you have a chance read the book "The Jolly Rogers: The Story Of Tom Blackburn And Navy Squadron VF-17". Its a great book.

Back to Marines Dream. This is a beauty of a Corsair but why did the orginal owner tell everyone that it was an exact replica of the Corsair that Ken Walsh flew when it wasnt? I just dont get that guys and why WW 2 plane restorers do that. So to me Marines Dream was the F4U of the late Archie Donahue and not of Ken Walsh. I think the story on that needs to be set straight because alot of people who go to Air Shows are getting the wrong info on a great looking Corsair.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Originally Posted by Steve1971

So to me Marines Dream was the F4U of the late Archie Donahue and not of Ken Walsh.

I always thought this was Archies corsair "see picture" ?
and didn't Edwin Olander fly 576 Marines Dream.
JP


Stokes has a painting of Archie's corsair as well.

In his spectacular painting, aviation artist Stan Stokes shows a F4U Corsair of VMF-451 of the Bunker Hill piloted by Marine Major Archie Donahue in action against an incoming (A6M2 Zero) Kamikaze attack during the Okinawa campaign.

[Steve1971]

Hey Starman,

Yes that was Archies Corsair when he served on the Bunker Hill but he did fly a Corsair named Marines Dream with the number 19 on the fusalge before that.