Presentation Date: June 25, 1999
CAPT Leon Woodie Spears USAF
Original Tuskegee Airman, Combat Fighter Pilot, WWII & KOREA
* Earned Silver Pilot Wings on 24 June 1944, Class 44F, Tuskegee, AL.
* Flew P-40, P-39, P-47, P-51 and virtually all the key USA fighters of WWII.
* Advanced training in high-performance fighters, then sent to Italy with 301st FS, 332nd FG.
* Flew 51 combat missions in P-51s "Donna" and "Kitten", based in Ramitelli, Italy.
* Hit by German 88 "flak" at 32,000 feet above Berlin, 24 March 1944, on 51st mission.
* Superior airmanship & training enabled a successful forced landing in Poland.
* Became a POW of Germans, then worse with the Russians; fascinating journey to freedom!
* 51 Combat Missions in WWII
* 17 Combat Missions in KOREA
* Born 15 January 1924 in Trinidad, CO; raised in Pueblo, CO.
* Always yearned to fly! Resisted all discouragement about pursuing pilot training.
* Earned Silver Pilot Wings on 24 June 1944, Class 44F, Tuskegee, AL.
* Cross-country training flight episode featured in HBO Movie The Tuskegee Airmen.
* Flew P-40, P-39, P-47, P-51 and virtually all the key USA fighters of WWII.
* Advanced training in high-performance fighters, then sent to Italy with 301st FS, 332nd FG.
* Flew 51 combat missions in P-51s "Donna" and "Kitten", based in Ramitelli, Italy.
* Hit by German 88 "flak" at 32,000 feet above Berlin, 24 March 1944, on 51st mission.
* Superior airmanship & training enabled a successful forced landing in Poland.
* Became a POW of Germans, then worse with the Russians; fascinating journey to freedom!
* 51 Combat Missions in WWII
* 17 Combat Missions in KOREA
* Served a a teacher, followed by a 35-year career with USPS, including executive positions.
* Active motivational speaker.
* Woodie's theme in life: Dare To Dream!