Sam joined the Checkertail Clan (318th FS "Green Dragons".325th FG) in Jan '44 flying P-47s as bomber escort. His first aerial victory on the first of three FW-190s took place on the 3rd of March '44 followed by the others on the 18th April and the 27th August. All victories in his P-47 (43-24855) A/Cno. 66, nicknamed "Rowdy". He was also part of the Frantic Mission between the 2nd and 11th of June that year flying between Italy and Russia. The 325th were re-equipped with P-51 B/C kites over the next month and Sam was also made Group Operations Officer. His P-51B (Rowdy 2) was written off on landing by another pilot. The next kite was a P-51C (Rowdy 3) which he wrote off on landing in Jan '45. He was finally flying another "B" before he rotated out back to the States just prior to the "D" being introduced to his FG.