Famed Pilot Honored at San Diego Air & Space Museum

Steve “Spiro” Pisanos, died at age 96 on June 6.

A pilot who flew for the famed Eagle Squadron in England and for the U.S. during World War II was honored at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on Thursday.

Longtime Rancho Bernardo resident Steve “Spiro” Pisanos, died at age 96 on June 6.

According to an article by the San Diego Union Tribune, Pisanos was a native of Athens, Greece and came to the U.S. at age 18 as an unauthorized immigrant. At the time, he didn’t speak a word of English but his dream was to become a pilot.

Pisnos served for 30 years in the air force, starting off as a pilot for the Eagle Squadrons of Great Britain’s Royal Air Force and then transferring to the Army Air Force when the U.S. joined World War II.

Jim Kidrick, President CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum told NBC 7, Pisanos was willing to put his life on the line and he epitomized what it meant to be an American.

“We’re celebrating a true American hero,” Kidrick said on Thursday. “He embraced America like no other person I’ve met in my lifetime.”

Pisanos was inducted into the International Air Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2006.

“If he would’ve just stand up in front of us today for 10 or 15 minutes, we would all walk away feeling a little bit better about ourselves and a lot better about America,” Kidrick said.

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