Object description

The Temnac P-38G Lightning is a historic military aircraft, now on display at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson. It is a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, military serial number 42-13400, which entered service in the United States Army Air Forces at what was then known as Elmendorf Field in 1942, during World War II, and was assigned to the 54th Fighter Squadron. In January 1945 it was taken out on a training mission over the western Aleutian Islands by 2d Lt. Robert Nesmith. While flying low over the Temnac River valley on Attu Island, Nesmith experienced fluctuations in one of the engines, and was forced to put the aircraft down. He crash-landed the aircraft in the valley without injury to himself.