Capt. Clyde B. East flew the P-51 Mustang "Lil Margaret" (44-14306) when he was assigned to the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photo Reconnaissance Group, 9th USAAF in Europe. He had 13 air-to-air victories. He flew 26 photographic and interdiction missions in the RCAF Spitfire, and voluntarily transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force, flying the P-51 Mustang. On D-Day, June 1944, he shot down a FW-190, one of only 4 German aircraft destroyed that day. He flew over 40 recon missions in support of the U.S. and Allied Ground Forces in the Normandy invasion area. He flew approximately 180 combat recon sorties in support of the movements of General Patton’s 3rdArmy, and destroyed an additional 12 enemy aircraft. He also flew numerous missions in the Ardennes Salient (Battle of the Bulge).

He later flew the RF-51D and RF-80 on recon missions during the Korean War, flew the RF-101 “Voodoo” on recon missions over Cuba during the Cuban missile Crisis in 1962, and flew the RF-101 during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in Vietnam during August 1964. He retired from the United States Air Force in February 1965, and worked for the RAND Corporation for 28 years. He now does volunteer work for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the American Cancer Society, and St. Jude’s Catholic Church.

Lt. Col. Clyde East was awarded the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 43 Air Medals. He also had been awarded British, French, and Belgian military decorations. He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1955 to 1968 for the highest number of repeat awards of combat medals.
Signed by Clyde B. East.