WWII VETERAN Joe Peterburs Takes to the Skies Again—80 Years After Being Shot Down

At 101 years old, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Joe Peterburs returned to the cockpit of the legendary P-51 Mustang—the same fighter he once flew in deadly skies over Europe. The flight wasn’t just another ride; it was a full-circle moment, bringing him back to the aircraft that defined his wartime youth and nearly cost him his life.

From Young Aviator to Combat Veteran

Peterburs enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 and earned his wings at just 19. Assigned to the 55th Squadron, 20th Fighter Group at RAF King’s Cliffe in England, he quickly found himself flying escort missions in the iconic Mustang. By April 1945, he was on his 49th mission when fate intervened.

Engaging a German Me 262 jet that had already torn through American bombers, Peterburs managed to damage the aircraft, forcing its ace pilot, Walter Schuck—credited with over 200 kills—to eject. But moments later, Peterburs’ own Mustang was crippled, and he was forced to bail out over Germany. Captured, interrogated, and sent to a POW camp, he eventually escaped, linking up with a Russian tank column before being repatriated to U.S. forces.

Returning to His Mustang

Decades later, the fighter pilot has now been given the chance to relive those days in remarkable fashion. In one event at California’s ACV Airport, Peterburs flew in formation with two Mustangs escorting a B-17 Flying Fortress—an echo of the combat missions of his youth. In another, organized by the King’s Cliffe Airfield Museum in England, he was surprised with a Mustang flight from Duxford, 80 years to the day after he was shot down.

“It was beyond my wildest dreams to have this opportunity to fly over England and remember the days past,” Peterburs said. The aircraft, he recalled fondly, “fit like a glove—it was like putting on a suit of armor.”

A Life of Service Beyond WWII

Peterburs’ story didn’t end in 1945. He went on to fly 76 combat missions in Korea, was wounded in action, and rose to the rank of colonel before retiring in 1979 after 36 years of service.

Reflecting on his extraordinary life, Peterburs is grateful not just for survival, but for the chance to relive history in the cockpit of the aircraft that shaped it. “A lot of young men were not able to live the life I’ve lived,” he said. “I’m truly grateful that people are remembering the sacrifices that were made during the war.”