David Thomas McKnight’s career as a patriot began at age 18 when he enlisted in the National Guard – 101st Cavalry Regiment (NY).



His early interest in aviation shaped his later life in many ways. “Boy, that’s just the beginning of a million. My flying time is now five minutes.” - Those words were from 17-year old Dave McKnight, written in his diary on July 20, 1929 after saving up enough money to take his first flying lesson. He took to the air at Roosevelt Field on Long Island. In 1933 he flew a friend to Skaneateles, New York where he landed in a farmer's field, met the owner’s daughter, Grace Lucille Evans, fell in love and later married her on September 5, 1936.



His interest in aviation also led him to becoming a flight instructor in the Royal Canadian Air Force before America joined the war effort. His flying and teaching skills, coupled with his natural leadership ability, prepared him for an extraordinary early role in organizing, training, and leading B-17 aerial operations over Europe during World War II as a Squadron Commander and Group Air Operations Officer in the 95th Bomb Group. He flew on 32 missions with the 95th BG on 23 different aircraft.



After World War II, he and his family moved about the U.S. as his career developed. His family returned to Skaneateles while Colonel McKnight commanded the 56th Fighter Wing in 1949 and the 49th Fighter Wing in Korea in 1950-51.



Later he served as a faculty member at the Armed Forces Staff College and was again a Wing Commander of the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing in the early ‘60s on the first line of defense in Germany near the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.



Colonel David Thomas McKnight, United States Air Force, Retired, died June 30, 1999 in Skaneateles, NY. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.