Legacy The 23 August 1990 issue of The New York Times took note of Alexandru Şerbănescu's emerging post-Communist rehabilitation, stating that he had been recently commemorated by the daily România liberă with a front-page article. While the NYT issue acknowledges that he shot down some American aircraft, it wrongly labels them as B-24 Liberators. Şerbănescu never shot down any B-24s, but a B-17 Flying Fortress and two P-51 Mustangs, plus an unconfirmed P-38 Lightning. Alexandru Şerbănescu was the top-scoring ace of Axis Romania: the country changed sides five days after his death and at the time of his death he was the top-scoring Romanian ace. In terms of the number of aircraft destroyed, he was credited with 47 confirmed victories and 8 probables. Having died fighting an enemy which enjoyed both technological and numerical supremacy, and not being "tainted" by any contribution to the campaign against the Axis, Şerbănescu became a legend among Romanians. The boulevard in Bucharest that today bears his name is a unique tribute to a Romanian wartime pilot. Today, a boulevard in Bucharest bears his name and passes very close to Aurel Vlaicu Airport. Each year, on 18 August, veterans, air force officers and aviation enthusiasts gather at his tomb to commemorate him. On August 18, 2004, the 30th Honor Guard Regiment commemorated, with military honors, the sixty years that had passed since Capt. Şerbănescu was killed in action. On December 1, 2006, the 95th Air Base of the Romanian Air Force received the honorific title Cpt. Av. Alexandru Șerbănescu. See also List of World War II flying aces from Romania Horia Agarici Constantin Cantacuzino Romanian Air Force References Notes Bibliography Dénes Bernád, Rumanian Aces of World War 2, Osprey Publishing, Botley, Oxfordshire, 2003 Ion Bucurescu, Aviația Română pe Frontul de Est și în apărarea teritoriului Vol. I; II (Romanian Aviation on the Eastern Front and in defense of the national territory), Editura Fast Print, 1994. Vasile Tudor, Un nume de legenda – Cpt. av. erou Alexandru Șerbănescu (A legendary name, Captain Alexandru Șerbănescu), Editura MODELISM, 1998. 1912 births 1944 deaths Romanian military personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Order of Michael the Brave Romanian Air Force officers Romanian World War II flying aces Aviators killed by being shot down Burials at Ghencea Cemetery People from Olt County Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania Recipients of the Iron Cross (1939),