WWII Vet Learns About Pilot Who Saved His Life 60 Years Ago
A Paducah, KY man learned the identity of the man earlier this year:
Veteran learns more of pilot who saved life
PADUCAH, Ky. - World War II veteran and Barlow native Dan Price still remembers the smile of the Tuskegee Airman that saved his life in 1945.
“He had the prettiest white teeth I’d ever seen,” Price said of George Haley of Bath, N.Y., who escorted his damaged plane back to safe territory near the Adriatic Sea after Price was separated from his squadron over Italy.
Honoring Haley was part of the grand opening of the Ron Spriggs Exhibit of Tuskegee Airmen. The exhibit, which includes models, World War II flight uniforms, books, photos and other memorabilia, will be displayed at Barkley Regional Airport’s main terminal through this month. The exhibit opened Tuesday.
Nearly 1,000 black Army pilots were trained from 1941 to 1946 at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The 332nd Fighter Group completed 15,500 missions in Europe, lost 66 pilots and destroyed 260 enemy aircraft. While the pilots helped begin integration of American armed forces, few were allowed to pursue careers in commercial aviation when they returned from the war.
Through the years, Price often thought of the pilot who flew as “Cool Fool.” He didn’t know his name. He didn’t know how to track him down. For 60 years, he tried to find a way to thank him.
The search ended in May, when he learned Haley’s name with the help of local veterans activist Sandy Hart. Hart contacted Spriggs, a Nicholasville historian, this spring for more information on Haley. Spriggs and Hart surprised Price on the day the exhibit opened with a framed close-up picture of Haley in the cockpit of his plane, a wide grin spread across his face.
“This is just great,” Price said. “I looked for years and years, couldn’t find anything.”
Haley returned from the war after flying 100 missions, raised three children and died in 1996, never knowing how much he changed Price’s life.
Price was raised with prejudiced racial thinking that was common in the 1930s, he said, a part of his life that changed dramatically when he returned home. When he saw the face of his rescuer, he didn’t see color, only hope and help.
“I realized that all of us are equal,” he said. “I’m no greater than the poorest street person. I’m no lower than President George W. Bush. That’s what George (Haley) fought for. It’s what I passed on to my children.”
