Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
It takes a special kind of courage and leadership to fly into the enemy’s sites so that the rest of the attacking aircraft can do their job safely.
From the time of his youth in Port Barre, Louisiana, Paul Dowden wanted nothing more than to fly airplanes. After graduating from LSU, he received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1983, entered navigator flight training and graduated with distinction in 1984.
Dowden was assigned to the Wild Weasel 35th Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base, California, as an electronic warfare officer. His call sign was “Data.”
He was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm. In the F-4 G Phantom II, he flew 19 combat missions ahead of his fellow bombers, taking out enemy radar sites used to launch anti-aircraft missiles.
“Data” Dowden was an excellent navigator, highly respected in the wing. He accumulated 2,000 flight hours in his career.
After combat duty, Dowden returned to the states for assignments in Nevada and Washington, D.C. He was then appointed Commander of the 28th Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. This was his last assignment, and the important work that his group accomplished was recognized when he retired in 2004 as a lieutenant colonel with numerous decorations. Paul Dowden passed away in 2005.