About Tony

Tony Strotman - B-25 History Project CBI Historian: Tony's avocation with aviation was triggered while lying on haystacks watching private, commercial and military planes passing from horizon to horizon above Nebraska wheat and corn fields. Planes and cloud formations triggered daydreams which often included his father, Francis, who had been awarded the Air Medal and Distinguished Service Cross for combat hours as engineer-gunner on B-25s in the aerial guerilla warfare that existed in the Chinese Theater overseen by Claire Chennault. Pursuit of those dreams included private pilot license at age 18, as well as ground instructor and commercial licenses within three years, even while adapting to US Air Force life.

The majority of Tony's USAF career directly involved undergraduate pilot training or aircrew procedures training; slightly over 7,000 hours instructing undergraduate pilots in instrument procedures using T-37 and T-38 Link Trainers; three years as a trainer/simulator maintenance technician; maintenance shop chief for C-5A Galaxy Crew Flight Simulator; and Branch Chief for C-130 AWADS Mission Simulators. Those experiences were key in Tony's second career; Field Service Engineer for the first digital navigation system installed on C-130s. For nearly twenty-two years he provided training for navigators and pilots, training for maintenance specialists, and direct support to resolve system problems evading solution at the local level.

From a very early age Tony thought the North American Aviation B-25 Mitchell was one of the most beautiful WWII warbirds, sharing the spot with the Mustang and the Spitfire. He has built dozens of models; static, control line, and radio-controlled. He favors the B-25H primarily because Francis' crew delivered a brand new one from Morrison Field to the 341st Bomb Group at Kunming, China, where he completed about 67% of his mission aboard H's, the remainder aboard J's.

When Francis suffered a debilitating stroke and loss of communication skills there was still so much to know, because Francis had been rather cloaked about his overseas time in USAAF. As Tony's knowledge of Francis' missions increased his initial research into the B-25 types and disposition began. Why were H's included with D's and J's on some missions, but not on others? Why did bombing altitudes vary from high, to low, to very low from mission to mission? And, why did one Squadron perform more of one type of mission than the other Squadrons. Tony now knows some of the answers, but…

So, as Tony continues to build B-25 models, his quest for answers, and more questions, continues.