https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/15/367/Dibble_Text0200.pdf 0008aa971e245ce5af9f46d6ba9f0f7b PDF Text Text Lt. Jim Dibble’s Last Mission Lt. Jim Dibble on September 9, 1943 was assigned as the Squadron Leader - composed of 12 P-38 “Lightning” aircraft of the 94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group which departed Dittano, Sicily to cover and patrol the Salerno invasion area. Upon completion of our allotted patrol time and encountering no enemy aircraft the shipboard controller directed us to attack a large concentration of German equipment and men reported in this region. Lt. Dibble led his squadron on a low-level attack against a large camouflaged and well defended German force. On his initial strafing attack both Lt. Dibble and his wingman, Lt. Stanley Wojick were shot down due to the very intense heavy small arms, machine gun and 20mm fire. Unfortunately, Lt. Dibble was killed and Lt. Wojick, who bailed out, was severely injured and became a prisoner of war. Lt. Dibble, from Hastings Michigan, was on his 49th combat mission and only needed one more mission to complete his combat tour of 50 missions and return home. He was an outstanding pilot, leading his P-38 fighter squadron against a formidable enemy force. �He was a short, feisty fighter pilot who broached no fear in his previous 48 combat missions and an individual who received the admiration and well deserved respect of his fellow fighter pilots. As his tentmate from our North African campaign days through Sicily and on to Salerno it was indeed a heartfelt loss to see my comrade in arms, his aircraft as well as his wingman crash. At this loving memorial in Lt. Dibble’s honor, may I recite an old “Irish Blessing” one that would bring a smile to Jim’s face. “May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; And the rains fall soft upon your fields; And until we meet again, may God hold you In the palm of his hand.” Also, may I include all my blessings from Lt. Dibble’s tentmate and Blue Flight Leader on that fateful day. Colonel John T. “Jack” Hanton USAF (ret) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource James P. Dibble: The Monument in Padula, Italy Description An account of the resource The citizens of Padula, Italy, were extremely friendly and helpful during Jim & Ted Dibble's search for answers to their uncle's death. As everyone learned more about James and what happened, they viewed James as a hero and wanted to honor him. In May 2005 they erected a monument to his memory and sacrifice in helping them win freedom during WWII. See photos from the dedication ceremony, including the monument itself, along with transcriptions of the speeches given. Jump to other sections of the collection: <ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li> </ul></li> <li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li> </ul></li> </ul></li> </ul> Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typed document Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Speech by Col. John T. Hanton at Lt. James Dibble's monument dedication in Padula, Italy Subject The topic of the resource James Dibble. Monument. Padula, Italy. Description An account of the resource Speech by Col. John T. Hanton at Lt. James Dibble's monument dedication in Padula, Italy. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Speech transcription Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Col. John T. Hanton Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 4/8/2000 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Hastings Public Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jim Dibble Date Accepted Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal). 1/18/2022