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Sad to hear that World War II B24 pilot veteran, former Buncombe County Commissioner and former NC State Senator Jesse Ledbetter has passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Marie, and family. When people talk about the #GreatestGeneration, Jess lived that life serving our country, state and community. Jesse Ledbetter served Buncombe County as a County Commissioners from 1980 until 1992.
Ledbetter was a pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber. Operating out of southern Italy Ledbetter led 50 bombing missions against heavily defended Nazi targets. Even though he and his crew of ten were never shot down, they had several close calls, surviving German anti-aircraft gunfire and flak-filled skies. His plane was hit several times, crew members were wounded and engines were lost. Ledbetter was back in the U.S. training on B-29s and anticipating an invasion of Japan when the war ended.