Three U.S. Navy airmen pose on the wing and cockpit of a single-engine fighter, likely a Grumman F4F Wildcat, during World War II. The plain white star insignia on the wing, used before the addition of side bars in mid-1943, helps date this photograph to the early years of American involvement in the Pacific war. Snapshots like this one, preserved in personal photo albums, offer an informal counterpart to official military photography, capturing the camaraderie of naval aviators between missions. Project: 218146