Lt.Col. Russell F. "Gus" Gustke, born: in Minneapolis, MN. Assigned to the 20th.FG on 23 Feb. 1944 and was Ops Off. for the 77thFS through 9 Mar 1944. Promoted to Lt. Col.on 17 Nov 1944; made Commanding Officer 77thFS to 18 Dec. 1944; promoted to 20thFG Deputy Commander to 19 April 1945. During his combat tour with 14th.FG in North Africa he was involved in both the Bolero and Torch Missions. Gustke was in the top percentage of 8thAF in combat hours having spent 3 tours of duty with the 20thFG he flew 636:25 combat hours total.

    " Lt. Col. Gustke crowded 10 hours into 6 today and completed his THIRD repeat THIRD tour of combat. 'Gus' reported after the mission that he had four more hours to go to complete the tour, but Genral Anderson said, 'No more missions for Gus.' So congratulations to you, Col. Gustke, from all of us.

    Gus flew his first combat tour in North Africa with the 49th.FS, 14th.FG, from 5 May, 1942 to 29 January, 1943. During this tour he was shot down by an Me-109, after getting one for himself, and had to crash land his P-38 behind enemy lines. After some hair-raising experiences with hostile Arabs, he got into friendly hands and returned to his unit. His tour in that theater was 125 hours after which he returned to the States to give talks and aid new pilots preparing to tangle with the hun. In North Africa Col. Gustke (then Lt.) did a lot of strafing but planes destroyed on the ground were not confirmed and no record was kept.

    While in the Zone of Interior Gus joined the 55th.FG and came to England with it in September, 1943 and started his second tour in November. The 20th. made a successful raid and captured Gus on 23 February at which time he became a member of the 77th.FS and later Commanding Officer of the squadron. He completed his second combat tour on 10 June, 1944 with 231 hours. A FW-190 tangled with him on 22 May and was destroyed. After a trip home Major Gustke returned to the squadron, ready to go again. He started his third combat tour on 5 October, 1944, this time in a P-51. Soon Major Gustke became a Lt. Col. and then left the squadron to become the Deputy Group Commander of the 20th.FG on 18 December. He added an Me-109 to his list of victims on 12 February and completed his tour with 288 hours 30 minutes.

    A real record: In aproximately 645 comabt hours Col. Gustke has only aborted once and that time because one of his engines (he was flying a P-38) caught on fire.

    And now he's going home to sweat out the confirmation of a claim that he entered 81/2 months ago. Good luck, Gus. Hope it's a boy.

-- Special Ammendment To Intelligence Report, Mission #294, 31 March, 1945

Claims Destroyed: 1 FW190(air), 2 Me109's(air); Probable: 3 Me109's(air); Damaged: 3 Me109's(air), 1 He177(ground), 1 JU88(ground); Decorations: Air Medal and 16 Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross and 2 Clusters, Silver Star; returned to Zone of Interior 19 April 1945.

        Russell Gustke's career with the USAF continued for many years and he finally retired with the rank of Major General.

   

One of Maj. Gen. Gustke's North African Missions

RETURN TO THE 20TH. FTR. GRP.

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