Gun Lake resident Jim Dibble has been on a mission for more than 30 years: to learn more about his Uncle James.
Dibble learned his uncle was a fighter pilot who got shot down by the Germans on September 9, 1943. While he's already solved so much about the mystery of his uncle, even unveiling the crash site, Dibble's story continues as he continues to uncover the untold story of James and his brave actions in World War II.
Throughout his childhood, Dibble heard stories about what happened to his Uncle James through his grandparents. He knew his uncle was a fighter pilot who flew a P-38 as a member of the 94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group of the 12th Air Force of the U.S. Army. German shot down the plane and he was reported missing in action on Sept. 9, 1943.
However, Jim and his family wanted to learn more. After years of searching, Jim journeyed to Padula, Italy, where he found others who remembered the plane crash, where he found and excavated the crash site.
Today, Jim continues his quest to solve more mysteries surrounding his uncle’s crash by organizing another mission to Padula to excavate more of James’ crash site as well as the crash site of James’ wingman Lt. Stan Wojick. Jim also would like the Air Force to review more of James’ mission, specifically one on August 30, 1943.
To support and fund this project, head to GoFundMe and search for Project Find Mickey.
