lieutenant colonel Dyess was born and raised in Albany, Texas. After graduating from Albany High School, he attended John Tarleton Agricultural College, graduating in 1936. He recieved pilot training in San Antonio, Texas and a second-lieutanent's commision. Assigned to Barsdale Field, Louisiana, he was promoted to first-lieutenant then commander of the 21st Pursuit Squadron at Hamilton Field, California. He was assigned to Nichols Field,Manila,Philippines on October 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was made commander of all flying squadrons on Bataan. On April 9, 1942, the American forces surrendered to the Japanese and Dyess became a P.O.W. He survived the Bataan Death March and imprisonment at camps O'Donnell and Cabanatuan and the Davao Penal Colony. Escaping Davao on April 4, 1943, he and several other prisoners contacted Filipino guerillas and were led to the submarine "Trout" to freedom on July 23, 1943. After evacuation to Australia and to the United States, Dyess briefed the War Department on Japanese warfare and confirmed the enemy's brutality on POWs. Promoted to lieutanent colonel and flying, on December 22, 1943, he was killed later that day in Burbank, California while attempting an emergency landing. He is buried in Albany, Texas. He recieved the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Silver Star. After his death, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor and was posthumously awarded the Soldier's Medal. Abilene Air Force Base was renamed Dyess Air Force Base in his honor in 1956.
lieutenant colonel Dyess was born and raised in Albany, Texas. After graduating from Albany High School, he attended John Tarleton Agricultural College, graduating in 1936. He recieved pilot training in San Antonio, Texas and a second-lieutanent's commision. Assigned to Barsdale Field, Louisiana, he was promoted to first-lieutenant then commander of the 21st Pursuit Squadron at Hamilton Field, California. He was assigned to Nichols Field,Manila,Philippines on October 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was made commander of all flying squadrons on Bataan. On April 9, 1942, the American forces surrendered to the Japanese and Dyess became a P.O.W. He survived the Bataan Death March and imprisonment at camps O'Donnell and Cabanatuan and the Davao Penal Colony. Escaping Davao on April 4, 1943, he and several other prisoners contacted Filipino guerillas and were led to the submarine "Trout" to freedom on July 23, 1943. After evacuation to Australia and to the United States, Dyess briefed the War Department on Japanese warfare and confirmed the enemy's brutality on POWs. Promoted to lieutanent colonel and flying, on December 22, 1943, he was killed later that day in Burbank, California while attempting an emergency landing. He is buried in Albany, Texas. He recieved the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Silver Star. After his death, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor and was posthumously awarded the Soldier's Medal. Abilene Air Force Base was renamed Dyess Air Force Base in his honor in 1956.
