Mi Lei Fo Revistited

Some posts just seem to take on a life of their own. That has been the way with my posting of Dick Ayers` World War II air plane Nose Art for the Mi Lei Fo and the story behind it way back in August of 2007.

I have gotten more comments of this one post and more meaningful comments than any other post. These comments are from the family of the people on the ill fated plane in question. Here is another comment form an man whose uncle and name sake was the wireless operator and waist gunner on the Mi Lei Fo.

Albert,

You should contact Dick Ayers. All the information I have comes from him. As I heard the story in 1977 or 78 as a student of Dick`s at the Joe Kubert School the reason Dick has the lucky charm (Mi Lei Fo) is because he was painting new nose art on the new replacement plane and he needed it to do his layout. He still has it because they went into battle without it and never came back.

I had no idea as a student back in the late 70s that when I begged Dick to do the story of Mi lei Fo just how much it would mean to people on the Internet 30 years later. Dick didn`t want to draw the story because it was too painful to him. But I knew from first hearing how important of a story this was on a human level. That is why Ric did the art and Dick wrote the story.

I know that Belinda has been it touch with Dick so she should have his contact information.

I have a clear memory of everything Dick told us that morning but I have put all of that in my postings on Mi Lei Fo.

Quoting Albert DiLuzio:

Larry,

By way of introduction my name is Albert J. DiLuzio. My uncle and name sake was the wireless operator and waist gunner on the Mi Lei Fo and I have been researching his plane and crew most of my 61 years. Over the past six years I have partnered up with Belinda Del Pesco who’s great uncle Guerino DelPesco was the navigator bonbadair on the plane. we are in position of the Sgt. Rock comic book of July 1980 that depicted the story of the last flight. You allude to there being two planes. I have been confused in my research seeing that there are two Me Lei Fo’s mentioned. One a B-26B and another a B-26G, both listed with the pilot Captain Charles DeRitis. On a copy of a photograph we have of what appears to be a B-26G the nose art of Mi Lei Fo has a purple heart medal painted on his chest. I was confused by this until I read your blog. This seems to clear up, at least in part, the mystery of the two Mi Lei Fo’s. Could you provide us with any information you may have on the first plane and what happened to it? Any other information you may have on the plane, even if you think we may have it or may seem unimportant to you pleas pass it on to us.

Sincerely,

Albert J. DiLuzio Ed.D.

I am posting this here in case someone else with family on the Mi Lei Fo might find it in the future.