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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Leader

Honored by:
Mr. Bret Lowell

Stanley Lowell, 1stLt, United States Army Air Force and Air Traffic Control Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration.

In 1942 Stanley Lowell enlisted in the Aviation Cadet program of the US Army Air Forces (USAAF). He was assigned to the Southeast Air Force Training Command for pilot training. During flight school he piloted the single-engine Ryan Primary Flight Trainer, then a single-engine BT 13 (manufactured by Vultee), several twin-engine aircraft, and finally a B-17. (He also piloted a P-47 while in England and, after the war, a C-47 (a.k.a., when civilian, DC3) and a twin-engine King Air).

He graduated from flight school in November 1943 as a multi-engine aircraft pilot. He was then assigned to Sebring, Florida for B-17 transition training and to Tampa, Florida for combat preparation. In April 1944, he was assigned to the 452nd Bomb Group, 729th Bomb Squadron, at Doepham Green in Norwich, England. He flew a new B-17 from the US to England, with a refueling stop in Reykjavik, Iceland.

From Doepham Green, during World War II he flew 5 combat missions over Europe until he had two (of his four) engines shot out (by friendly fire) on May 29, 1944 over Leipzig, Germany. After loss of a third engine, his plane crash landed in Belgium, and he and his crew then spent almost one year as POWs. He was imprisoned in Stalag Luft 3 (in Poland), Stalag Luft 13D (near Neurenberg), and Stalag Luft 7A at Moosburg (near Munich). He was liberated on April 29, 1945 by General Patton.

Upon return to the States, and beginning in 1947, Stanley Lowell worked for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in many capacities, including as an air traffic controller at the Air Route Traffic Control Center in New York, and as a supervisor of air traffic controllers at the NY Center. He then became an analysis officer with responsibility for analyzing causes and prevention techniques for adverse incidents. His last position with the FAA was as Training and Evaluation Officer in charge of training and maintenance of air traffic controller proficiency. He retired from the FAA in 1978.