Azul Vivo! by Troy White

"Azul Vivo!" is fully rotational and part of artist Troy White’s Rotational Series- paintings and prints designed to be displayed as a square or diamond in any rotation of the image.

In "Azul Vivo!", Lt. Ralph “Kidd” Hofer in May 1944 dives his Mustang through a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses in hot pursuit of pesky Nazi fighters. With his long hair, orange & blue football jersey and his pet German Shepherd Duke, "Kidd" Hofer stands out as one of the most memorable characters in the 8th Air Force. After serving in the RCAF for two years Hofer transferred to the 4th FG in September of 1943 and promptly destroyed an Me 109 on his first mission. Hofer was known for his lone wolf tactics and comical breeches of radio discipline and frequently incurred the wrath of Col. Don Blakeslee on more than one occasion. One of his more memorable R/T quotes was "Gee ain't the Alps pretty". The "Kidd’s" enviable record puts him at the top of the 4th Fighter Group’s ace roster with fifteen confirmed air and fourteen ground victories.

The escapades of this great ace came to an enigmatic end on July 2, 1944 during the first England – Russia shuttle mission. On a mission to Budapest, Hungary with the 15th Air Force, Hofer, flying a borrowed airplane, was last seen as his squadron was being attacked by a superior force Me 109s. His body was found in the wreckage of P-51B, QP-X some 500 kilometers away in Mostar, Yugoslavia. He had been strafing parked aircraft when he was hit by 20mm defensive fire. His P-51 crashed into one of the gun emplacements and killed two of the crew and injured a third.