(Ed Killpack/Stars and Stripes)

Frankfurt, West Germany, May 1953: World War II veterans of the Luftwaffe’s Werner Moelders wing inspect an F-84 Thunderjet during a visit to Rhein-Main Air Base, where some of them were stationed in 1939. Of the 37 German veterans visiting the base, 25 were combat pilots during the war. They were led by Heinz Lange, a 35-year-old Cologne lawyer who had flown 628 combat missions and was credited with 70 victories.