In 1945, while conflict dwindled in most theaters, the Pacific remained fiercely contested. Amid this chaos, Lieutenant Louis E. Curdes, already notable for downing German, Italian, and Japanese aircraft, suddenly encountered an unprecedented challenge.

Piloting his P-51 Mustang "Bad Angel," Curdes was patrolling the Philippine Sea when he spotted a C-47, an American transport plane veering dangerously off course, aiming straight for an enemy-held airstrip.

The aircraft below could have been a Japanese decoy or, more alarmingly, an American crew unwittingly on the brink of capture. Curdes radioed down a stark warning: (QUOTE) “For God’s sake, keep away from shore. Japs there.”

He then initiated a series of maneuvers, firing warning shots in a desperate bid to divert the plane's course. Yet, the C-47 advanced.

Suspecting the worst but acting with the determination of a seasoned fighter, Curdes closed to 20 yards, about to make a fateful decision. Few had achieved the distinction of downing aircraft from three nations. Curdes, however, was about to distinguish himself further, marking German, Italian, Japanese, and now, under extraordinary circumstances, an American plane.

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