Robert W. Stephens was born in 1921 in St. Louis, Missouri, he grew up on Pernod Avenue in south St. Louis. He attended Roosevelt High School where he lettered in baseball and football, and also ran track at Roosevelt.

Just 20 years old, Stephens began training as a pilot in March 1942. On September 29, 1942, about the same time he would have been winding up his second season in professional baseball, Bob Stephens earned his wings and an Army Air Force commission at Luke Field.

In January 1943, Stephens joined the newly formed 355th Fighter Squadron. Stephens began transition training on the P-51 on November 9, 1943, and on December 1, he made his first fighter sweep across the English Channel to German-occupied Holland. On December 5, Stephens performed his first bomber escort, accompanying Allied bombers to Paris, France.

P-51D "KILLER!" was the only 'bubble top' Mustang assigned to the commanding officer of the 355th fighter squadron, Maj Bob Stephens. He flew it from August of 1944 until his tour expired in September. Maj Stephens scored 3 air victories in this machine in late August, taking his final aerial victory tally to 13. His previous 10 victories were scored from behind the controls of his previous mustangs(he flew four of them), all of which were P-51Bs and all were also branded with the nickname "Killer". The nickname is a reference to young Stephens' reputation in the boxing ring.

The first of Bob's victories scored in his P-51D "KILLER!" occurred on the morning 25 August when he led the first fighter sweep of the day. Just north of Reims the Mustangs were attacked by some 20 Bf 109s and Fw 190s and Maj. Stephens quickly shot down two of the Fw 190s.

The last victory in "KILLER!" happened on August 28th. On that day Maj. Stephens was leading a patrol in the vicinity of Châlons, Reims and Soisson when his Mustangs were bounced by about 50 Fw 190s and BF 109 over Épernay. The encounter resulted with Stephens being credited with a victory over a Bf-109. Interestingly, this happened even though Stephens didn't even fire a shot! Here is how he described this encounter:
'The Jerry had made the mistake of trying to turn with our Lufbery. In doing this he lost his speed advantage and couldn't get away. I got on his tail and had him in my sights when he half rolled. I rolled after him. Then, before I fired a shot, he bailed out'.

This profile is one of many newly made P-51 Mustangs made during the last three months, more will follow soon.