American hero visits Dyess

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A 76-year-old retired Air Force pilot visited Dyess Oct. 1 for a tour and simulator flight, reliving his "glory days" in the B-52 and B-57. 

Retired Maj. Leland Madison, who flew over the Pacific Ocean and to and from Guam in the days of the Vietnam Era, had never flown in a B-1 but operated the simulator with the skill of a practiced aviator. 

Having flown more than 400 Vietnam missions, Mr. Madison holds five Distinguished Flying Crosses and 25 Air Medals, among other things. 

"It was really fun to be here," he said. "I joined the Air Force because I love flying, and it's a tremendous opportunity we have to serve." 

In fact, his wife, Sam, and he both have compelling stories. Mrs. Madison was a child during World War II. After the Soviets occupied her homeland and executed her father, her mother, brother, and she escaped by walking from western Poland to Denmark. They even spent time in a Prisoner of War camp. When then-Captain Madison met Sam I Tulsa, Oaklahoma, he knew she was the woman for him. Having lived through the horrors of war, Mrs. Madison was ready to become the wife of an aviator. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Madison are true American heroes," said Capt. Sid Stegall, a 9th Bomb Squadron B-1 pilot who met the couple at church and became friends with them because of their shared interest in the Air Force. "A lot of guys who were flying back then didn't come back. Of course, the Army and Marine Corps bore the brunt of the casualties then and now. We Air Force aviators are fortunate to fight from the air and we haven't lost many Airmen. But they didn't have the luxury of ... global positioning systems, smart weapons and the avionics systems we have today. What they did was nothing less than remarkable." 

And although Airmen in today's Global War on Terror have not faced a high-tech enemy, Capt. Stegall said there may come a time when we do fight a more sophisticated enemy. 

"It's very important for us to remember the legacy of the volunteers and draftees who came before us," he said. 

After his retirement in 1978, Mr. Madison worked as an instructor for Abilene Aero until 1986, teaching many locals to fly. His legacy will live on in the hearts of younger pilots like Captain Stegall.