I keep wondering if the discord nickname NP2348 has any significance. Does it ring a bell for anyone? Could be random letters and numbers of course.
NP2348 looks to me like a US military aircraft tail code, and Bella's dad Michael/Mike Janke was allegedly a member of US Navy SEAL Team Six (and thereby a US Navy veteran of at least 2 deployments per recruitment requirements).
NP was indeed a US Navy tail code, that identified a unit/assignment, not necessarily an individual aircraft. N signifies the Pacific Fleet.
NP was assigned to VC-3, Composite Squadron THREE (re-designated VF(AW)-3, All Weather Fighter Squadron 3) in May 1949 and was disestablished in May 1958 - so too old for Mike.
NP was also assigned (to replace tail code G) to CVG-21 (2nd), Carrier Air Group 21 (re-designated CVW-21, Carrier Air Wing 21) in November 1956 and was disestablished in December 1975 - service in 1975 would put Mike's age at ~62.
So not sure but as we know Bella is enamoured with her father's military 'exploits' it might be his favourite aircraft or something to do with his Navy service prior to SEAL Team Six. My educated guess would be it's a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk tail code NP 2348. Would need to find a photo of that aircraft to be anything more than conjecture though.
EDIT:
Thinking about this again Bella's grandpa was a Korean War vet (of unknown role) which spanned June 1950-July 1953. NP was in the Pacific fleet and surprisingly Composite Squadron 3 (VC-3) noted above provided Korean War night fighter detachments from the aircraft carriers of the Pacific fleet, using the Vought F4U Corsair aircraft. So I'm thinking gramps was possibly a Navy vet (where his son followed in his footsteps) and NP 2348 was perhaps his aircraft, or has some particular meaning that's been passed down in the family. This would go along with Bella being interested in her father's (and presumably grandfather's) military history.
According to US Navy and Marine Corps bureau number records:
2348 was a 1935-1940 era Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina (flying boat) fate unknown (probably scrapped).
02348 was a 1940-on era Vought F4U-1 Corsair that was lost off 'vella Lavelle' (presumably Vella Lavella Island) in the South Pacific on September 13 1943.
So 02348 was allegedly lost in the Pacific in 1943 prior to NP being assigned to Korean War Pacific theatre Composite Squadron 3 (VC-3) in 1949. It's close and there could be some records issue or mistake on Bella's end but there's definitely a possible link there.
Feel free to rate this autistic as I'm literally trying to dox a horrorcow's grampa's Korean War Navy aircraft, based on their discord username.
EDIT 2:
According to his obituary Bella's grandpa Charles E. Janke was born in 1941 and served in the USAF from 1961-1964.
