This watercolor and statue were self-portraits done by World War II P-47 pilot George Rarey. The wings on the base of the statue are his Air Corps pilot wings. Prior to being drafted and assigned to the 379th Fighter Squadron of the 362nd Fighter Group in 1942, Rarey worked as a cartoonist and commercial artist. For this reason, he became his squadron’s primary nose artist. Rarey wrote many letters to his wife during his time in service and almost always included a sketch or cartoon in his correspondence. While overseas he also kept a cartoon journal of the daily life of a fighter pilot. Rarey was killed on a mission shortly after D-Day in 1944 before ever getting to meet his son, Damon, who was conceived just before his father went overseas. As a way to connect with his father, Damon later collected all of Rarey’s sketches and letters, and published them in a book titled Laughter and Tears. When Damon passed in 2002, the Rarey family donated the entire collection to EAA.
This story originally appeared in EAA’s membership magazine, EAA Sport Aviation, in April 2017. To learn more about some of the fascinating artifacts in EAA’s attic, become an EAA member and receive a free magazine subscription.