Joe Peterburs joined the US Army Air Corps on November 30th, 1942 and was called into active service as an aviation cadet on January 26th,1943. On April 15th, 1944, after a rigorous flight training program, he received his Pilot's Badge and 2nd Lieutenant rank. After basic training, he flew fighter replacement training on the P-40N and the A-24. On November 6th, 1944 Lt. Peterburs arrived in England and was assigned to the 55th Fighter Wing of the 20th Fighter Group; he was 19 years old. The unit was equipped with the P-51; he understood the P-51B quickly and collected about 20 hours on the B, C and D models before he flew into combat. He flew many memorable missions, of which the 49th was the last and most exciting. On this mission, on April 10th, 1945, Joe Peterburs shot down a Me 262 flown by the famous German ace Walter Schuck (Tiger of the Tundra). Later that day, Joe Peterburs was also shot down by enemy ground fire while firing at an airfield. He was captured, escaped and fought with a Russian tank unit in the Battle of Wittenberg on the Elbe. In December, 1951, he was assigned to the 12th Fighter Bomb Squadron of the 18th Fighter Bomb Group, which flew the P-51D in Korea. He flew 76 sorties over North Korea, suffering injuries on several of them, including a .50 caliber bullet that was hurled through the propeller of his P-51. He was also hit directly in the face by handguns fired at his P-51 cockpit from the ground. In 1954, he participated in nuclear tests in Nevada, where he was sitting in trenches when a 20-kiloton bomb exploded. In January 1955, he managed to get out of a burning Lockheed T-33 (two-seater fighter-bomber). From 1965 to 1967 he toured as an exchange officer with the headquarters of RAF Fighter Command in England. In the autumn of 1967, Lieutenant Colonel Peterburs was sent to Vietnam as a staff officer, where he was responsible for command and control of the war zone. During the Tet offensive, the Viet Cong managed to launch a 122 mm rocket into his barracks and blew up his room while he slept. From 1972 to 1978 Colonel Peterburs was assigned to Germany. He initially held the position of Air Force Liaison Officer for the Commander of the 7th Corps of the U.S. Army. He was then asked to organize, create and command the 601st and 600th Tactical Air Control Groups. He was the key player in the reorganization of the 601st Tactical Air Control Wing and assumed the position of Deputy Commander for Tactical Control. During this time, he was responsible for all direct air support and mobile/fixed radar control units, which took command and control throughout Central Europe. In 1979, after over 36 years of active service, Colonel Peterburs retired. He is Commanding Pilot, Master Air Weapons Controller and was inducted into the USAF Air Weapons Controller Hall of Fame. His military awards include: Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 OLC, Bronze Star with 1 OLC, Purple Heart with 1 OLC, Air Medal with 7 OLC, POW Medal and 32 other medals and awards.
