WWII Hero attends Aviation Nation 2012 Published Nov. 20, 2012 By Senior Airman Jack Sanders 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Crowds of people gathered at Nellis Air Force Base to watch as the Air Force displayed capabilities at Aviation Nation 2012. But this year's crowd held a special guest, retired Lt. Col. Miguel Encinias who joined military members and their families for the show. Encinias was born in 1923, and was raised in New Mexico, the youngest of 16 children. Through the Great Depression, his family lost their home, and young Encinias joined the National Guard at the age of 16. After Pearl Harbor, he applied to the cadet academy and was selected as a pilot and an officer. "All I ever wanted to do is fly for my country," Encinias said. "I'm kind of glad they didn't make me a full bird Colonel; they probably wouldn't have let me fly anymore." Encinias flew 60 missions in the European theater, but on January 19, 1944, he was shot down and captured by the Nazis, who held him in Stalag Luft I, a prison camp in Germany, for 15 months. When the Normandy landing took place, he and his fellow prisoners of war found out about the invasion through the Red Cross. Months later, Russian forces finally overtook their German captors and the prisoners were free. Weeks after his return to the States, Miguel decided to volunteer to go back to war, this time in the Pacific theater. The day before being sent to Phoenix, Ariz. for training, word arrived that the atomic bomb had been dropped on Nagasaki. The war was over days later. Encinias went on to serve in the Korean War, where he flew 111 missions and was shot down again, this time to be rescued by a helicopter from behind enemy lines. He finally served in the Vietnam War, where he flew 60 missions before retiring in 1971. Over the course of his distinguished career, Encinias was awarded two Purple Hearts, 14 Air Medals, and three Distinguished Flying Crosses. Since then, Encinias earned his doctorate, and was a college professor at New Mexico Western University and the University of Albuquerque, where he taught French and Spanish. Former President Bill Clinton appointed the colonel to the World War II Memorial Advisory Board, which planned the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Encinias was joined today by his wife, Jeannine; his great niece, Rosalie Ogden; and his great, great nephews, Michael and Marc Smith. Escorting him to Aviation Nation 2012 was one of Nellis' own -- a family friend - Tech. Sgt. Michael Chapman. (Editor's note: information for this story was taken from a spoken account at Aviation Nation 2012)
