James Plackis is a World War II Veteran, starting in 1943, having volunteered
to join the U.S. Air Corps at age 18. By age 19, he was placed in command of the
largest bomber, the B-24 "Liberator", with ten crew members, and with whom he
successfully completed 40 combat missions against the Japanese in the Pacific
over the next 12 months.
Following his 16th mission, conducted on Christmas Day 1944, he was awarded
the most prestigious Aviation award: the "Distinguished Flying Cross", while he
was still a 19 year old teenager. The Air Corps commended him for his heroism,
courage and skill in how he conducted an emergency landing on an unprepared
strip in the Philippines, saving his wounded crew, and their badly damaged bomber.
For his 40th and final mission, the target was the Jap Battleship "Haruna", at the
Kure Naval Base in Kyushu, which is only 10 miles from Hiroshima. This took place
on August 5, 1945, which was just the day before the U.S. dropped the first Atomic
Bomb on Hiroshima, on August 6th.
Following WW-II, he became a Fighter Pilot with the Air National Guard for 4 years,
as he was earning his Bachelor's and Masters college degrees, under the G.I. Bill.
Then came the 38 year Test Pilot career with the Federal Aviation Administration,,
of which the final 29 years included his being the Chief of FAA Flight Test for the
Eastern Region. In 1962 the FAA identified him as their "Air Force-One" Test Pilot, for
testing the Presidential fleet. Two such airplanes that he flight tested included President
Kennedy's Boeing 707 Jet and Vice President Hubert Humphrie's Lockheed Jetstar,
shortly after Kennedy's assassination.
At age 93, with 75 years and 14,000 flight hours of piloting experience, he is still
actively flying as a Pilot and Flight Instructor locally. The FAA considers him qualified
to fly over 150 types of Landplanes, Seaplanes, Helicopters, Gliders and Hot air
Balloons. He also performs flight tests internationally, selectively, as an FAA
Engineering Designee.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -- John F. Kennedy
Thank you for your service!
And... thanks to all who have gone before us, are serving now, and will take up the call in the future to provide for us all that we enjoy... Freedom and all of our righteous pursuits!
ANACO-DV David G. Porter
US Coast Guard Auxiliary- 1SR