John Lyle (pilot)

Flight Officer

John Lyle
Flight Officer; John Lyle
	John Lyle 1944
Birth name	John Lyle
Born	November 18, 1920; Chicago, Illinois
Died	January 5, 2019 (aged 98); Chicago, Illinois
Service/branch	United States Army Air Force
Years of service	1944-1945
Rank	Flight Officer
Unit	100th Fighter Squadron 332d Fighter Group
Awards	Congressional Gold Medal 2007;
Spouse(s)	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]

–John Lyle

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]

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]