media-6671.png UPL 6671 Lieutenant Colonel Merril M Stiver of the 303rd Bomb Group with his B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Jackie" after his wife.

The "Jackie" Nose Art Story
by 1Lt Samuel (Sam) W. Smith
After searching for over fifty years for a photograph of the nose art on B-17G, serial number 43-38563 without success I was surprised to receive a phone call from Bud Miller who asked, "Are you the Samuel W. Smith who was a pilot attached to the 360th squadron of the 303rd Bomb Group, "Hells Angels"? I replied that I was that person.

He then told me that his best friend was Merrill Stiver who was also a pilot attached to the 360th. He and Merrill had determined that we had flown on four missions together. Merrill had the nose art painted on "Jackie". I asked how to contact Merrill and was informed that he took his last flight the week of January 19, 2009. I asked if there was a photo of the nose art and learned that Bud had a photograph given to him by Merrill. He said he would send a copy as well as the story behind the photo.

Merrill Stiver's B-17G flying fortress was severely damaged over Euskirchen, Germany on December 27, 1944. Due to excessive damage to this plane it was retired to become a "Hanger Queen" to be used for spare parts. After flying several other planes Stiver was assigned a new B-17G, serial number 43-38563 that had been flown a few hours as a command aircraft and had no name or nose art. Stiver hired one of the talented mechanics to copy a photograph of his wife, Jacqueline, and paint her on the nose of this plane; and the name "Jackie" was born. Many of the older planes had pinups, nudes and nose art that was unacceptable to Mrs. Roosevelt, so "Jackie's picture was modestly clad in a swimsuit.

http://www.303rdbg.com/na-jackie.html