John Lyle | |
|---|---|
 John Lyle 1944 | |
| Birth name | John Lyle |
| Born | (1920-11-18)November 18, 1920 |
| Died | January 5, 2019(2019-01-05) (aged 98) |
| Branch | United States Army Air Force |
| Service years | 1944-1945 |
| Rank | Flight Officer |
| Unit | 100th Fighter Squadron 332d Fighter Group |
| Awards | |
| Spouse | Eunice (4th wife) |
| Relations | 3 step children |
Flight Officer John Lyle (1920 – 2019) was an American World War II pilot and a member of the famed group of World War II-era African-Americans known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Dickson flew 26 combat missions during WWII.[1] He had a lifelong love of sailing and over the course of his life he owned seven different boats. He was nicknamed Captain Jack for his love of sailing.[2]
Military service
Lyle graduated from Englewood High School on Chicago's Southside and in 1943 joined the military. He did not want to be a foot soldier so he pursued flying. After graduating from the Tuskegee Institute as a Flight Officer he was assigned to the European theatre. He flew 26 combat missions over Italy, Austria and Germany.[2] Lyle, named his plane “Natalie” after his first wife. During the war he shot down a German Messerschmitt.[3]
I was shot at several times as part of a formation. I watched bombers being torn apart, but they were performing the mission they signed up to do,” Mr. Lyle told Jet. “And when I had to shoot the guy who was shooting at the planes I was protecting, I did not feel bad because that was my assignment.[4]
Awards
- Congressional Gold Medal 2007[1]
Education
Tuskegee Institute 1944[6]
Personal life
Lyle was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. He graduated from Englewood High School and in 1943 joined the military. He did not want to be a foot soldier so he pursued flying.[2] Lyle married Eunice and was a stepfather to her 3 children. After the war, he became a police officer with the Chicago Park District and also started a tree-trimming company. He had prostate cancer at the end of his life.[1] His wife Eunice said that his dying wish was to sit and watch the waves of Lake Michigan at Jackson Park Harbor Yacht Club.[2] Lyle was married four times and Eunice was his fourth wife.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Tuskegee Airman John 'Jack' Lyle dead at 98". airforcetimes.com. Associated Press. January 8, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Bowean, Lolly (January 7, 2019). "'Captain Jack' Lyle, South Side native and one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen dies at 98". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ "John Lyle, 98, Tuskegee Airman". The Philadelphia Tribune. January 7, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ a b O'Donnell, Maureen (January 7, 2019). "John 'Jack' Lyle, one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, dies at 98". The Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Listing". tuskegee.edu. Tuskegee University. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
Notes
- ^ The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.[5]
External links
- Video of John Lyle
- Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
- Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
- Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
- Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
- Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
- Executive Order 9981
- List of African American Medal of Honor recipients
- Military history of African Americans
