I recently had the chance to visit and talk with Tony Pavidis. He had just turned 98 years old the day before. Pavidis is still a big man, over six feet tall, with a deep baritone voice. He is a World War II veteran and today is the oldest member of the VFW Post 2452 in Norwood, and the oldest member of the American Legion in Canton. Unlike many vets who shy away from talking about their war time experiences and memories, Pavidis shares freely and proudly. He said that’s because he was one of the lucky ones. He was one of the few, who went to war and saved lives.
Pavidis was a pilot in the Army Air Corp, assigned to a P-61 Black Widow, a night fighter. The plane could carry three men; a pilot, copilot and machine gunner in the rear. The pilots were interchangeable, so if they weren’t flying they were the navigator, radio man and equipment operator, and vice versa.
Late in 1944, the Germans broke through American lines in the famous Battle of the Bulge. The 101st Airborne Division, under the command of Brigadier General MacAuliffe, found themselves completely surrounded by German troops in the town of Bastogne, Belgium. Knowing they had the Americans surrounded and running low on supplies, the Germans increased their attacks and sent a message into the town demanding the Americans surrender. That’s when General MacAuliffe responded with the famous one word answer “Nuts.” Tony and his crew were called to duty. They began making numerous night missions dropping medical supplies and munitions to the Americans trapped behind enemy lines. It was these night deliveries that allowed the Americans to hold off the Germans until Patton’s forces could come and rescue them. Tony knew those supplies helped save American lives.
His next adventure in the war was classified and top secret at the time. He was called to a mission briefing that was controlled not by the Army Air Force, but by American Intelligence, (OSS), the predecessor to the CIA. They told him they were stripping his plane of most of the normal equipment to make room for new radar equipment; the most sensitive and advanced that America had developed at that time. They explained there would not be room for a tail gunner. He wasn’t thrilled with that idea, but he was smart enough to know that any negative remark would probably result with pushups. In the army you just follow orders. They began that night flying reconnaissance missions over Germany. Every night they would report for a briefing, then leave the airbase and fly a predetermined flight plan, constantly watching the sky and the equipment. Upon their return, they attended a debriefing. This schedule went on for many weeks and eventually months. Finally they asked what are we looking for. The response was, 'we’ll let you know when you report it.' The flights went on. Finally one night there was a blip on the edge of the largest radar screen. When they turned to pursue the object, all they saw was a brief flash of light and the object seemed to disappear. When they came back to the base and reported this sighting, the equipment was examined. They were told you have just confirmed our suspicions; the Germans have developed a jet plane. They were again sworn to secrecy.
The time I spent with Tony listening to his stories was so entertaining and enlightening. Before I got up to leave I was sure to thank him for his service. As I was going, I turned and asked one last question. By the way, do you have any advice for others on how to live such a long and healthy life; any special diet or routine? “Yes I do”, he said, “Just keep breathing.”