Unforgotten
Hero
tells the captivating life story of Second
Lieutenant Jimmy L. Escalle, a U.S. Air Force
fighter pilot who became missing in action
during the Korean War.
Growing up in a
small farming town in California’s San Joaquin
Valley during the 1930s and 1940s, Jim was a
devoted son, a caring older brother, a talented
athlete, and a young man of moral character who
always put others first.
Called to serve
his country after the Korean War began, his
childhood dream of becoming a pilot someday
became a reality when he joined the Air Force
and eventually got the opportunity to fly the
F-86 Sabre, regarded as the most advanced jet
fighter of its time. Soon after arriving in
Korea he went on his first missions, which were
MiG Alley sweeps. However, since Jim was
assigned to a fighter-bomber squadron, the
majority of his combat missions were
air-to-ground. These were the most dangerous
missions.
In Korea, more
pilots had been killed or listed as MIA due to
being shot down by ground fire rather than enemy
aircraft. For Jim, this fact was realized only
five weeks before the armistice was signed. He
paid the ultimate price for freedom when he
disappeared while on a combat mission over North
Korea and was never seen or heard from again.
JIM
ESCALLE
Jim
is the nephew of 2nd Lt. Jimmy L. Escalle.
He is a graduate of California State
University, Fresno, and has been involved
in public education for over thirty years.