Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fawkes attended West High School and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration. At the University, he was a member of the ROTC and joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. Fawkes flew 25 bombing missions as B-17 co-pilot and pilot in the 379th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force.

His missions included two of the famous raids over Schweinfurt, Germany and a ditching in the English Channel from which his entire crew survived. After the war, Fawkes served as a B-29 instructor in the Pacific. His career was spotlighted in the book “Fall of Fortresses” by his navigator, Elmer Bendiner. Fawkes retired from military service in 1962.

Fawkes returned to civilian life to carve a career as a stock broker and became involved in his community, serving with his children's school PTA, working with his church, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Inducted 2004

Ethel Meyer Finley
1920 – 2006

Born in Lake City, MN. Ethel Meyer Finley grew up on a farm and in 1940 enlisted in the CPT flight training program at Winona State Teachers College that included flying lessons from Max Conrad. Ethel volunteered for the military after Pearl Harbor and became a military flight instructor. In 1943, she joined Ferry Command, transporting warplanes from base to base in the USA. Finley joined sister WASPs in her later years to lobby for veterans benefits, and to speak to groups about the wartime contributions made by WASPs, encouraging women to follow their dreams.

Finley went on to volunteer for community service, helping several Half-Way Houses for abused and battered women.

Inducted 2007

Captain Richard E. Fleming
1917 - 1942

St. Paul native Richard Fleming attended St. Thomas Academy and the University of Minnesota before enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve. He went through the AVCAD program at Wold-Chamberlain Field in Minneapolis and trained at Pensacola. He was sent to the Pacific and was at sea with the U.S. carrier task force during the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. He went to Midway Island to help defend against the Japanese assault. On June 5, 1942, he led a bombing attack on the Japanese cruiser Mikuma near Midway. He died when his Vindicator aircraft was struck by the ship’s anti-aircraft fire. Both his bomb and the plane struck the Japanese ship, exploding and disabling it. Fleming was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The South St. Paul Airport is named in honor of Captain Richard E. Fleming.

Inducted 1997

Mal B. Freeburg
1906 - 1963

Mal learned to fly in 1926 and established Freeburg Flying Service at Shenandoah, Iowa. He went with Northwest Airways in 1928. In 1930, while flying a mail plane, he spotted a burning railroad bridge and flew back and forth in front of an oncoming train, dropping flares to warn of the danger. In 1932, shortly after takeoff in a Northwest Ford Trimotor, a prop blade broke on the left side engine and the engine shook loose from its mounts. As it hung from its various cables and hoses, Freeburg flew over the Mississippi River and managed to shake the engine off entirely, avoiding the danger of having it fall into a populated area. He then made an emergency landing in farm field in Wisconsin with no injuries to the passengers or crew. In 1933, President Roosevelt presented him with the first Civilian Air Mail Medal of Honor. Freeburg was Northwest Airways operations manager in 1933. He retired in 1952.

Inducted 1990