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Gabby
Gabreski took off |
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Francis S. Gabreski |
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In 1961 and 1962, Colonel Francis S. 'Gabby' Gabreski the top living American Air Ace, commanded the 18th Tactical Fighter wing, based at Kadena AFB, Okinawa. In the year 2001, as this was being written before his demise, he was still that top living American Air Ace, with twenty-eight enemy aircraft destroyed in WW-II aerial combat, plus three on the ground, and an additional six and one-half victories during the Korean War ... for a total of 34.5 victories in the air and three destroyed on the ground. Gabreski was born January 28, 1919 in Oil City, Pennsylvania, where he grew up, and graduated from Oil City Public High School in 1938. He then entered undergraduate Pre-Medical training at Notre Dame University, remaining until July 1940 when he entered AAF pilot training at Parks Air College, graduating in March 1941, at Maxwell Field, Alabama as a Second Lieutenant. He was promptly sent to Wheeler Field, Hawaii where, as a member of the 45th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group, underwent the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, and remained a pilot with the 45th until October 1942, when he was transferred to the 8th Fighter |
Command in the European Theater of Operations.
Soon, in November '42, he was assigned as Liaison Officer to the Polish Air Force, flying British-built Spitfires on 20 combat missions with the 315th Fighter Squadron. In February 1943 he was reassigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group in England, flying the Republic P-47s which served him so well in downing German aircraft. Four months later, in May |
1943 he was assigned Command of the 61st Fighter Squadron, which he led until July 20, 1944 - when he was shot down over Germany.
On that day Gabreski was supposed to be on furlough, awaiting transportation to the 'States, but instead, he volunteered to lead his Squadron into Germany. Upon return, he elected to hit a German air field with many parked aircraft upon it. On his second pass at the field, his prop tips hit a small rise in the runway, bending the prop tips and causing severe engine vibrations, which forced him to make a crash landing. He fled from the crash scene and managed to elude capture for five days, but was ultimately captured and held in Stalag Luft I for ten months, until being liberated by the Russians in April 1945. He had flown 165 combat missions in Spitfires and P-47 Thunderbolts before being shot down to become a POW.
Upon his return to the United States, Gabreski promptly married Catherine Cochran of Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 11, 1945, after which the couple departed for a combined honeymoon and 90 days Rest and Recuperation Leave at the Miami Beach, FL, Rest Center. Their long-lived marriage later resulted in nine (9) loving offspring over the ensuing years. (Djoni, Donald, Mary Ann, Frances, Patricia, James, Linda,Debbie and Robert.)