For more than sixty years, Jim Herbert has been known in the Piedmont as a farmer, a businessman, a pilot, a vestryman in his church, a member of the board of directors of the bank, and of the hospital, and of the schools his children attended. Most recently however, he was honored as a World War II "Legend" at The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends at Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

In commemoration of its 60th anniversary, the Air Force organized the event to recognize the men and women who flew the P-51 Mustang in combat during WWII. As a salute their accomplishments on behalf of freedom, and to celebrate the famous Mustang plane itself, the Air Force's Heritage Flight Program recently assembled The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends and invited Jim Herbert to attend as one of the special guest veterans who flew the Mustang to participate in the three-day program.

As rare as the Mustang plane has become, the men and women who made history in their cockpits have become even rarer. The event was organized as a final gathering of Mustangs and Legends and as a salute to their wartime contributions that helped preserve all that we enjoy today.

Jim Herbert, who graduated from Princeton University in 1940, was an ROTC cadet in field artillery. After farming for a year in Fauquier County, he requested active duty in 1941, and transferred into the air corps.

Herbert arrived in England at the 77th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, a few days after the D-Day invasion in 1944 where he distinguished himself by flying fourteen combat missions in P-38's and forty-three combat missions in P-51's.

For his heroism, he was awarded the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He retired with the rank of Major. He returned to farming in Fauquier County after the war, married his wife Betty in 1948. The Herberts have three sons, two daughters and nine grandchildren and live in Delaplane, VA to this day.

The meeting was focused entirely on documenting, preserving, and celebrating the living history of P-51 Mustang pilots and planes. Three days of amazing aerial demonstrations and performances included 80 Legends, 106 P-51 Mustang aircraft and additional World War II fighters/bombers. U.S. Air Force aircraft including the elite demonstration teams for the F16 Viper, the F-15 Eagle, the F-22 Raptor, the B-2 Stealth bomber, the USAF Thunderbirds and numerous heritage flights of these modern jets flew in tandem with P-51 planes. More than 150,000 visitors attended the event.

At the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends, Herbert was involved in media panel interviews, video documentary interviews, autograph signings, oral history presentations, the filming of a special documentary featuring him and a nineteen-year-old Mustang pilot. He also enjoyed a reunion of squadron mates, meetings with current Air Force combat pilots and demonstration team pilots, and a formal banquet and ceremonies in honor of the Mustang pilots.

One highlight for Herbert was joining Arnold Palmer and reminiscing with him about flying, friends, and family in Augusta, GA, home of the Masters Tournament. Another highlight was meeting the 19-year-old Steve Hinton, the young Mustang pilot who, with the 89-year-old Herbert were the subjects of a film comparing Mustang perspectives across the 70-year spectrum of age between them.

For Jim Herbert, it was a gratifying experience to participate in the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends proceedings. "Rejoining comrade veterans, meeting with today's flying service men and women who are carrying on the Air Force mission and traditions, witnessing a remarkable air show with more than 150,000 in attendance, once again seeing 105 P-51 Mustangs and other WWII warbirds assembled at the event were all highlights of the proceedings," he said.

"It was especially satisfying to reach out and shake hands across two and three generations who came to learn more about the famous pilots and their planes and to say 'Thank you' for their service that secured our freedoms today."

For more information, please visit The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends www.gml2007.com and http://www.gml2007.com/legends/herbert.asp.