Ace Recognition for James McCubbin
In the years following World War II, countless fighter pilots, once overlooked, have been acknowledged for their extraordinary achievements.
Many of these veterans have been posthumously granted ace status, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the American Fighter Aces Association, which works tirelessly to rectify historical records and celebrate the contributions of these airmen.
Among those who may finally gain recognition is James McCubbin, a seasoned pilot of the P-51D Mustang and a member of the Eighth Air Force, who currently celebrates his 103rd birthday.
Early Life and Military Career
Born on March 5, 1921, in Kansas City, Missouri, McCubbin pursued an engineering degree at the University of Missouri after high school.
However, after two years of academic life, he made the decision to enlist in the United States Army Air Corps, embarking on his flight training journey primarily in Texas.
Upon completing his training, McCubbin was assigned to the 385th Squadron of the 364th Fighter Group, based in Honington, England.
Initially, the squadron flew the Lockheed P-38J Lightning, but in August 1944, they transitioned to the North American P-51D Mustang.
On September 23, 1944, McCubbin was promoted to first lieutenant.
Flight logs maintained by Major William S. Crombie Jr. and his assistant, Thomas P. Farrell, note that he had not registered any aerial victories during September and October of that year.
It wasn’t until November 21 that he earned credits for shooting down two Junkers Ju 88 bombers.
Just over a week later, on December 2, he engaged a Messerschmitt fighter at approximately 15,000 feet over Mannheim, Germany.
He successfully hit the enemy aircraft and observed as it plunged to the ground, with no sign of the pilot escaping.
Three days later, McCubbin found himself in one of his most intense aerial confrontations, taking on several Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters.
Following the assessments made by 1st Lt.
William J. Neafsey, McCubbin garnered confirmed kills for two Fw 190s, with two additional victories marked as probable—though confirmation on one of those remains unclear.
By the end of December, six swastikas adorned the fuselage of McCubbin’s P-51D, lovingly named Mary-Al, signifying his ace status.
Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve, he was forced to make an emergency landing at an abandoned German airfield near Lille, France.
Once he rejoined his squadron and secured another aircraft by January 1, 1945, he started the new year by taking down yet another Fw 190.
Post-War Life and Legacy
In a dramatic turn during a skirmish on February 19, 1945, McCubbin was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crash-landed east of Bonn.
Following several harrowing weeks of evading capture and searching for food, he was eventually caught and sent off to a naval facility that he initially identified as Frankfurt, though it’s widely believed to have been Dulag Luft in Oberursel.
After being processed at Dulag Luft, McCubbin was taken to the POW camp in Moosberg, where he remained until the war’s end, joining many fellow airmen in their freedom.
McCubbin’s brave actions earned him numerous accolades, including the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and later additional decorations such as the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, and Presidential Unit Citation, culminating in his promotion to captain.
After the war, he continued his journey in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a flight and instrument instructor while attending college on the G.I. Bill, achieving his engineering degree two years later.
Following his studies, he married Bettye, and the couple raised four children: Carleen, Jack, Debby, and Ken.
Shortly before the Korean War broke out in 1950, McCubbin resigned from the military and embarked on a lucrative career in the plastics industry.
He later sold his business and transitioned into an engineering role at Marley Company, a manufacturer of cooling towers.
After a twelve-year stint managing Marley’s subsidiary in Mexico City, he finally returned to the U.S. at 55 and eventually retired.
His golden years were spent with his wife at Renaissance Legacy Senior Living in Rome, Georgia.
Following the passing of Bettye, McCubbin felt an urge to reconnect with an old comrade.
On his 101st birthday, that wish came true when the Commemorative Air Force arranged for a P-51D Mustang to be flown to Rome on June 4, 2022.
Stepping into the cockpit once more was a deeply fulfilling experience, allowing him to relive the thrill of his days as a pilot.
Source: Militarytimes