David Gandees, Lutz, Florida
“I am fortunate to have a wife who totally supports my hobby,” David says. “In fact, she is somewhat of an expert on 8th Air Force history. Her uncle was a B-17G pilot killed in action over Hamburg. We have an extensive World War II aviation library as a result of our mutual interest.” So, when David started boning up on P-51s, his wife, Kathleen, correctly determined that Tamiya’s 1/32 scale P-51D would be the perfect Christmas gift. To show his gratitude, David scoured histories of the 8th, found a Mustang named Kathleen, and ranged far and wide to find the appropriate decals. “Needless to say, my own Kathleen was excited about ‘her’ Mustang,” David says. “This was a pleasant and well-deserved surprise for her!”