Arthur G. Salisbury, 88; Led Air Force Fighters in ‘Palm Sunday Massacre’
Arthur G. Salisbury, 88, the retired Air Force major general who commanded American fighters in the World War II “Palm Sunday Massacre,” died March 20 in Colorado Springs, Colo. He had been in declining health for several years.
On April 18, 1943, Palm Sunday, Salisbury was leader of the 57th Fighter Group flying P-40 Warhawks in the North African theater. They intercepted a German air armada near Tunisia and, in 20 minutes of fierce battle, downed 76 transport planes and 13 Messerschmitt fighters.
The following year, Salisbury went to England as commander of the 84th Fighter Wing and was one of the first Army Air Force officers to land on the Normandy beaches during the D-day invasion. He was shot down three times during the war.
Salisbury, who was born in Sedalia, Mo., and graduated from Arkansas School of Law before becoming a fighter pilot, later served as an air defense expert at the Pentagon. He ended his military career in 1974 as a commander in the Panama Canal Zone.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
