Page 5 - Black History Month 2021 - Combined Special Edition of Luke AFB Thunderbolt — Davis Monthan AFB Desert Lightning News

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A life well-lived positively in uenced many lives Tuskegee Airmen compete, win 1st ever weapons meet, receive recognition 46 years later

By Staff Sgt. Retired Lt. Col. end of the day, and Capt. Temple was still
William P. Coleman and James Harvey, the high individual.”
by Stephen Delgado His historic and providential journey to the Tuskegee Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus an original The team moved on and got the highest
Institute began Sept. 1, 1939, when he was 15, under Tuskegee Air- score in skip bombing. Skip bombing was
There are individuals who come into other peoples’ horrifying conditions. Nellis AFB, Nev. man, admires performed by releasing a bomb so low to
lives as if they were designed by God to be there. Often Germany invaded Poland with more than 2,700 Lt. Col. James Harvey and his team of an F-35 Light- the ground that it didn’t have a chance to
there are circumstances that lead them to be at a cer- tanks, 1,400 airplanes and more than 1.5 million Tuskegee Airmen came to Las Vegas in ing II at Nellis nose over. Instead, the bomb would land at
tain place and to come into someone’s life at a time of troops. The German military broke through the Polish 1949 and won the rst Air Force Weapons’ Air Force Base, and skip on the ground until it hit a target.
profound need and, in some cases, desperation. defenses in a rapid fashion and advanced on the capital Meet (Top Gun), but their victory was hid- Nev., Jan. 10, Each pilot got six bombs for skip bombing.
One such person was the late, Dr. Zhigniew ‘Paul’ city of Warsaw in a massive encirclement and defeated den for years and the trophy was nowhere 2022. Harvey “Captain Temple scored six for six, Stew-
Dybczak, a native of Poland, who would be recruited the Polish Army within weeks. Tens of thousands of to be found. was honored art scored six for six, and I scored six for
to resurrect the failing School of Engineering at the Poles who had ed to eastern Poland were trapped by In May of 1949, the then Chief of Staff with the unveil- six,” Harvey said. “The next day was rocket
Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, in 1960. The Engineering the Soviet Union’s invasion Sept. 17. Adolf Hitler and of the Air Force sent a directive to all the ing of a plaque ring; Temple had six for six, Stewart had
department had fallen on hard times, having only six Joseph Stalin divided Poland. ghter groups in the United States, stating commissioned ve for six, and I had ve for six.”
faculty members and only one with a master’s degree. More than 1.5 million refugees were deported to there would be a competition between the to reaffirm the The 332nd Fighter Group was winning
The school was hampered by a tiny budget of less than forced labor camps in Gulags. Zhigniew and his brother three highest scoring ghter groups. This accomplish- the contest and had best individual score.
$60,000, inadequate facilities and a student body ill- were part of these refugees who worked in the Russian was the rst Top Gun Weapons Meet the ments of the With only one mission left, they were sure
prepared to graduate as engineers. forests as lumberjacks. Air Force ever held. 332nd Fighter to win.
George L. Washington, assistant to the president of However, everything changed when Hitler invaded The 332nd Fighter Group, formed by Groups’ his- “This is my thinking, not the Air Forces,”
the university, accomplished a miracle in getting Dr. the Soviet Union, June 22, 1941, leading Stalin to Tuskegee Airmen, had impressive scores, toric 1949 Top Harvey said. “We’ve got a lock on this
Dybczak to accept this challenge in building a viable become aligned with the British. As a result of his and despite the racial tension at that time, Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus Gun victory. weapons meet; we’ve won it. Captain
School of Engineering. However, thanks to the power- newfound connection with the British, Prime Minister was invited to the competition. The primary Temple is winning it as high individual,
ful legacy of Dr. Booker T. Washington and Dr. George Winston Churchill required Stalin to create an amnesty competitors were: Capt. Alva Temple, 301st individual, and Col. Benjamin Davis, 332nd feet, dive bombing, skip bombing, rocket and they couldn’t stand to see the 332nd
Washington Carver, Dr. Dybczak was inspired to take program which would allow many Polish refugees to Fighter Squadron; 1st Lt. Harry Stewart, Group commander, told his four pilots, “If ring and panel stra ng. win everything.”
on this profoundly dif cult task, which was made even be inducted in the British armed forces to ght the 100th Fighter Squadron; and 1st Lt. James you don’t win, don’t come back.” After both aerial gunnery events, the During the panel stra ng mission, one
more dif cult by the prevalent bigotry and racism of Germans. Zhigniew and his brother joined the Polish Harvey, 99th Fighter Squadron. The alter- The 332nd Group’s competitors were 332nd was leading, and Temple was the of their competitor pilots had to abort and
the white community in Tuskegee. arm of the British Royal Air Force, where they served nate was 1st Lt. Halbert Alexander also ying P-51 Mustangs and F-82 Twin Mus- high scorer. restart the panel stra ng portion of the
Courtesy photo
Dr. Dybczak’s road to Tuskegee University was lled until the end of the war. Dr. Zbigniew “Paul” W. Dybczak from the 99th FS. tangs. The Tuskegee Airmen were ying “The next day was dive bombing, we mission and get a new plane. After getting a
with danger and obstacles that would have defeated ___________________ There were only two trophies to be pre- obsolete P-47 Thunderbolt. The missions didn’t do too good that day; no one did,” said
a lesser person. See LIFE, on Page 12 June 27, 1924 – November 22, 2020 sented, one for best team and one for best were aerial gunnery at 12,000 and 20,000 James Harvey. “We were still leading at the ____ See TUSKEGEE, on Page 12

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