Big Jim

ENS Frederick J. Big Jim Streig on the roll in his VF-17 #3. Streig flew two tours with the 'Jolly Rogers' and made ace in the Corsair, scoring 5.5... more

by Wade Meyers

Original - Sold

Price

Not Specified

Dimensions

16.000 x 7.500 inches

Title

Big Jim

Artist

Wade Meyers

Medium

Drawing - Graphite On Toned Paper

Description

ENS Frederick J. "Big Jim" Streig on the roll in his VF-17 #3. Streig flew two tours with the 'Jolly Rogers' and made ace in the Corsair, scoring 5.5 confirmed aerial victories and claiming 2.0 damaged. Jim was promoted to Commander in 1956 and retired from the Navy in 1969. Always a popular presence at Jolly Rogers reunions over the years, Big Jim died in August 1995 after a long illness.

Sporting beards in many cases and known for their aggressiveness, Blackburn's Irregulars, as the pilots of VF-17 were referred to in certain quarters, actually played a large role during their own training period in preparing the Corsair for fleet-wide use. Eliminating the F4U's tendency to bounce during carrier landings and taming the plane's nasty stall characteristics were two important VF-17 technical innovations. They didn't do so bad once they entered combat, either, scoring a record 152 victories in only 76 days of combat during the Solomons campaign.

Uploaded

November 25th, 2018