World War II Honoree

John T. Zubeck

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Hazleton, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR FORCES, WHERE HIS APTITUDE FOR FLYING AND NAVIGATION BROUGHT HIM NOTICE. WHEN HE COMPLETED TRAINING IN OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS, HE WAS STATIONED IN PARIS AND MARSEILLES, FRANCE, AS THE ALLIES PUSHED THE GERMANS BACK ACROSS THE RHINE. HE FLEW BOMBING MISSIONS HUNDREDS OF MILES INTO GERMANY FROM LUXEMBOURG. HE MASTERED THE MARTIN B-26 MARAUDER, THE TWIN-ENGINE, MEDIUM-RANGE BOMBER NICKNAMED 'THE WIDOWMAKER' BECAUSE OF THE EARLY MODELS' HIGH RATE OF CRASHES DURING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. ONE OF HIS SECRETS TO LANDING THE PLANE WAS TO SLIDE IT INTO A GENTLE SPIN AT THE END OF RUNWAYS THAT WERE TOO SHORT FOR THE HEAVY AIRCRAFT. HIS CREW TRUSTED HIS LANDING SKILL. EVEN RETURNING FROM GERMANY AFTER HEAVY DAMAGE FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE, HIS CREW WOULD REFUSE TO BAIL OUT BY PARACHUTE, TRUSTING HE COULD GET THE PLANE DOWN SAFELY. AFTER THE GERMAN SURRENDER, HE CONTINUED TO FLY THROUGHOUT WESTERN EUROPE IN SMALLER AIRCRAFT, DELIVERING MILITARY MAIL AND CARGO.