This piece originally ran in the November 2024 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
These flight helmets were worn by Wesley Todd, who flew Corsairs as a Marine Corps fighter pilot in the Pacific theater during World War II. He was part of VMF-221 and was stationed on the USS Bunker Hill. Todd fought in both the Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Todd was flying over Okinawa and providing ground troop support when the USS Bunker Hill was struck and severely damaged by two Japanese kamikaze aircraft. He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses for his military service.
