Portal:Chicago/Selected biography/114

Louis Joseph "Lou" Sebille was a fighter pilot in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and later the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He rose to the rank of Major and posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5, 1950 in South Korea during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. Born in Michigan, Sebille worked as an MC in Chicago, Illinois before joining the US Army Air Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Sebille flew B-26 Marauder bombers over Europe from 1943 to 1945 and was highly decorated for his 68 combat missions. Sebille eventually accrued more than 3,000 hours of flying time. He briefly became an airline pilot before returning to the Air Force before the start of the Korean War. Sebille commanded the 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at the outbreak of the Korean War, flying F-51 Mustangs in close air support and air strike missions. During one such mission, Sebille attacked a North Korean armored column advancing on United Nations units. Though his aircraft was heavily damaged and he was wounded during the first pass on the column, he turned his plane around and attacked again, deliberately crashing into the convoy at the cost of his life. After his death, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.