Christopher Magee

Who is Christopher Magee?

Christopher Lyman Magee was a United States Marine Corps aviator who became a fighter ace in World War II and was one of the more colorful members of the famous "Black Sheep" squadron, VMF-214. Known as a fearless and aggressive pilot he was credited with nine victories during the war and for his heroic actions in September and October 1943 during the Solomon Islands campaign he was awarded the Navy Cross. After the war he dabbled in bootlegging, went to Israel and flew with the Haganah during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and later served 8¹⁄₂ years in federal prison for bank robberies in the Chicago, Illinois area. Upon his return from prison he lived quietly on the North Side of Chicago working as a columnist and reporter for a community newspaper. He died of surgical complications while having stomach cancer tumors removed on December 27, 1995.