April 21, 1945: The 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, the Tuskegee Airmen are assigned to fly a bomber escort mission. Tuskegee P-51s would rendezvous with B-24 Liberators from the 49th Bomb Wing, and then proceed to the target in Austria. The Attnang-Puchheim marshalling yards were to be destroyed by the B-24s payload. Among the Red Tail pilots en route to escort the 49th’s Liberators was Flight Officer Leland “Sticks” Pennington.
Pennington was flying his P-51B named Lucy Gal, which had flown on fifteen previous combat missions up to that day. At approximately 10:50 hours, 15 miles west of Zara, Croatia, Pennington made a radio transmission. Leland called that he was “sack timing solo,” and “did not wish an escort” (2nd Lt. Yenwith K. Whitney.) After this radio call, Pennington was never seen or heard from again. Pennington’s 301st squad mates, including Dr. Thurston Gaines, suspected that he had been battling appendicitis prior to departing for the mission that day. Pennington wanted to fly, to fight, to give others their freedom. He likely became incapacitated while trying to return home to Ramitelli, and came to rest in the Adriatic Sea.
In a previous series of articles, I highlighted how I discovered Leland Pennington and became inspired to launch a project to create an airworthy P-51 Lucy Gal to keep his story flying. Since I wrote those pieces, this project has begun to take flight once again. For the last few months, I had been planning a day to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of Leland’s disappearance. On April 21, 2025 we hosted “Leland Pennington Day 2025,” an afternoon of remembrance and celebration of the heroic man and pilot who “Sticks” was. The day was absolutely perfect, and had it been a play, could not have been written any better.
Leland Pennington Day 2025 was hosted at Asbury First United Methodist Church in downtown Rochester, New York. This location was a natural choice, as the church is located right around the block from where Leland grew up on Alma Place. This establishment has a personal connection, as they have opened their arms to my mother and I since losing my father unexpectedly last year (as mentioned in the previous articles, the man who got me into warbirds and aviation.) Reverend Kathy Thiel was instrumental in helping me plan what was essentially a memorial service, 80 years later.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9251 was also involved in the planning and execution of “Leland’s day.” Upon the conclusion of World War II, Rochester African American natives who served founded their own VFW, and named it the Pennington-Moye Post. This was in tribute to two local lost soldiers from the war, F/O Leland Pennington and Pvt Donald Moye (who was lost in an auto accident shortly after the conflict.) I felt it was crucial to involve this Post in the service. Thanks to Post Leader Erskine Lattimore, who just so happened to attend a lecture of mine on the project months ago, we were able to make a connection.
As the countdown progressed towards April 21, everyone really came together and the pieces fell into place. Kathy arranged a wonderful program of events, Erskine planned a wreath ceremony and taps rendition, I collected P-51 parts to be used in the build of Lucy Gal, and my artistically-inclined mother Mary Anne constructed a stunning display board with photos of Leland Pennington from over the years. Before I knew it, the day had come.
The service started off with a bang. Kathy had invited two members of the church who are World War II Veterans to attend. I had the honor and privilege of meeting Bill Lisi and Mason Fitch. Lisi was in the Marine Corps during the War, serving on Guam (the same place where my Grandpa Hancock ended up in 1945.) Mason was a B-29 Superfortress navigator, and was based at Tinian Island. He recalled vividly the day the Enola Gay departed to deliver the first Atomic Bomb over Hiroshima. It gave me goosebumps to hear these men speak so clearly about their memories and experiences from World War II. Just as with my chat with P-51 pilot Elmer Pankratz months ago (may he rest in peace), I felt so blessed to have this opportunity. If this wasn’t enough, both men were very inspired by our project, and both are now on the “P-51 Team” to make it happen! Both of these men are class acts, and I am now so happy to call them friends.
After meeting these Veterans of World War II, the rest of the remembrance ceremony really could not be “topped.” But, it wasn’t a competition. Kathy gave a wonderful sermon, with all the parts associated within a memorial service. I delivered what you may call a eulogy, 80 years later. I spoke about who Leland was, and why he loved to fly and serve. The sanctuary section of the ceremony concluded with a reading of Leland’s poem God Is My Copilot, and a singing of Amazing Grace (no dry eyes were present.) The ceremony echoed that of my father’s, from only 11 months ago. This Mustang project of mine, and my father’s belief in it brought up emotions that I cannot describe. I can say, however, that it felt “right.” Both my dad and Leland live on through this P-51 effort, and my mission to fly warbirds to keep this history alive.
The memorial service moved “outside” (actually into the lobby, because of rain), and VFW Post 9251 “did their thing.” A commemorative wreath laying; with the red, white, and blue flowers used in every VFW ceremony, was followed by taps. If anyone had spare ammunition in their tear-ducts left, they were spent here. With one final salute, the remembrance ceremony concluded. Leland Pennington Day 2025 was over, however, this event was really only the beginning. The momentum our project gained from planning, promoting, and hosting this service to honor Leland Pennington will catapult us into the next phase. Stay tuned for another article in the near future, with more exciting details on the flight path ahead for the Pennington P-51 Memorial and Mustang Lucy Gal Project. Again, I cannot thank Kathy Thiel, Erskine Lattimore, Bill Lisi, Mason Fitch, my mom, and the dozens of others who supported Leland Pennington Day 2025. We are on to great things.
