The Flying Greek - Colonel Steve N. Pisanos ...

Flying his first mission in his P-47 “Miss Plainfield” out of Debden Aerodrome with the 334 Fighter th Squadron, 4 Fighter Group, Lt. Pisanos, “The Flying Greek,” scored his first victory on 21 May 1943, when th he downed a German FW-190 over Ghent, Belgium. By 1 January 1944 he had become an ace with five confirmed victories
The Flying Greek - Colonel Steve N. Pisanos




Colonel Steven Pisanos receives the Legion of Honor Medal from the French Republic

 

Yes! I have his memoir. I got through the first third of it, put it down, but need to continue. How, as a young boy in Greece, he gets bitten by the bug to fly. He sneaks on a near-by military base to watch and be near airplanes. Military personnel take a liking to the young boy and they allow him to hang around, eventually giving him chores to perform, advising him on the education he would need to eventually attend a Greek air force flying school, and eventually taking him up in a plane. He then realizes that he would have better educational opportunities in the United States, so he becomes a cabin boy on a Greek merchant ship, planning to jump ship once at port in the United States. Being of Greek heritage, myself, his desire to succeed is quite inspirational. This book is practically "required reading" for any Greek-American, as well as those interested in WWII aviation.

Greg C.