Lt. Col. Francis “Gabby ” Gabreski was one of the most accomplished fighter pilots of both the Second World War and Korea. Gabreski was an Army Air Corps Lieutenant stationed in Hawaii the morning of December 7th 1941, when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese planes were well out of range by the time Gabreski’s unit had pushed the aircraft around on the ramp, and he took off in his P-36. He was now angry and motivated to enter the fight.

Born in 1919 in Oil City, Pennsylvania,  the son of Polish immigrants, Gabreski voiced his very strong feelings regarding what the Nazi regime had done in Poland. Having heard about Polish pilots that were flying with the British against the German attacks on Great Britain, he asked to be assigned to England.  Promoted to Captain in 1942 he was assigned to the 8th Airforce in England. From there, he made his way to an assignment with the 315th Squadron. Fluent in Polish he was now flying Supermarine Spitfires with the  experienced Polish pilots. Exactly where he wanted to be, Gabby learned to master the Spitfire. With the training of the skilled Polish pilots, he grew more confident and experienced . Gabreski was awarded the Polish Cross of Valor in 1943.

Now a seasoned fighter pilot, Gabreski was transferred to the 8th Airforce 56th Fighter Group, where he transitioned to  a new plane, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.  He suffered an injury to his hand and a three month recovery; Gabby once again took to the skies in his Thunderbolt. Now a force to be reckoned with, his skills led to 28 victories. He became the top American fighter ace in the European theater on July 5th, 1944.