Former WW 2 fighter pilot William “Bill” Overstreet Jr., famous for flying under the Eiffel Tower while chasing a German aircraft during World War II has died at the age of 92.

He was like many of those from his generation, simply great.

As we mentioned above, Captain Overstreet is best remembered for being the utter badass U.S. Army Air Corps pilot who  flew underneath the Eiffel Tower’s arches in his P-51 Mustang “Berlin Express” during an aerial battle while chasing a German fighter plane, which he shot down. It was like something out of an epic action movie and may have looked like this artist’s rendition:

According to Barnstormers, as Overstreet was in hot pursuit of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 over Paris, the German pilot figured the anti-aircraft artillery on the ground would take care of the American, but no. Here’s what happened next:

The German’s engine was hit, and Overstreet persisted through the intense enemy flak. As a last resort, the ME109 pilot aimed his aircraft at the Eiffel Tower and in a breathtaking maneuver, flew beneath it. The unshakeable Overstreet followed, and scored several more hits in the process.

The German plane crashed and Bill escaped the heavy flak around Paris by flying low and full throttle over the river.

Overstreet describes the heroic event in his own words:

“I had followed this 109 from the bombers when most of the German fighters left. We had a running dogfight and I got some hits about 1500 feet. He then led me over Paris where many guns were aimed at me. As soon as he was disabled, I ducked down just over the river and followed the river until I was away from Paris.”

Even back in war-torn, Nazi-occupied Paris, what Captain Overstreet did wasn’t something you saw every day. Or ever actually. And it was an act that is said to have re-ignited the spirits of the French resistance fighters who witnessed it from the ground.

Balls. Captain Overstreet had them.

Over the years, Captain Overstreet was awarded hundreds of medals for his service in the 357th squadron of the U.S. Army Air Forces including France’s Legion of Honor from the French ambassador to the United States in 2009 at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. At the ceremony, the French ambassador said Overstreet led “some of the most heroic actions that we have ever heard of” during the liberation of France.

The website Warbirds Express has a pretty comprehensive summary of Capt. Overstreet’s life and military career.  There’s just so much more about him that you should know.

Godspeed, Sir. You were magnificent.

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