BRAZIL WWII

Lieutenant General Rui Barbosa Lima

 

                                                                                                                                   Lieutenant General Rui Barbosa Lima is one                                                                                                  of three Brazilian veteran pilots from World                                                                                                    War II to be alive. He is a military fighter pilot                                                                                                  by trade. He is very highly recognized and                                                                                                      has served as a commander of Santa Cruz                                                                                                    Air Base, in Rio de Janeiro. Rui was the son                                                                                                  of an appellate judge from a well-known                                                                                                        family name in Brazil. He wore the name Rui                                                                                                  on his uniform as an aviation second                                                                                                              lieutenant when he commanded 94 missions                                                                                                 while being aboard a P-47 Thunderbolt.                                                                                                         During the 8 months Brazil was involved in                                                                                                     World War II when Rui flew the Thunderbolt,                                                                                                 he was under very extreme fire from German                                                                                                 artillery. During the war, a group was formed,                                                                                                  it was the first ever Brazil fighter group. This                                                                                                 group was specially formed for combat in Italy during the Italian Campaign. This group involving Rui executed 445 mission in the battle. Brazil was the only South American country to send troops to Europe to support the Allies, “The main concern we has was, basically, to fulfill the mission. It was a pain, however, to say the least! You had to remain amid crossfire for almost three hours; there was no place to go where you wouldn’t get shot,” stated Lt. Gen. Rui, who happens to be one of the few remaining members of the Brazilian Expeditionary force, which was a group of cadets recruited who were the most recent graduates from the Brazilian Army Officer Training School, because the Brazilian Air Force didn’t exist yet. Brazil has entered the war with 22 pilots and no experience. Lt. Gen. Rui  had his first mission on November 6th, 1944. During his first mission he had already been married and his wife was pregnant, he had written her every day, sometimes three times a day. “I went on 94 missions, and I was hit nine times, with multiple shots each time; on one occasion, there were 57 holes in my airplane. I’d taken shots in the wing. Which caused significant damage to it’s aerodynamics. That was on April 29th 1945. I almost died,” recalled Rui. Lieutenant General Rui Barbosa Lima was an inspiration to everyone in Brazil, he was looked up to by many and supported by many more, he gave hope to his country and fought for what he believed in. He was a symbol of hope. There are many things that make up a hero, but volunteering to fight for his wife, child and country was a significant act of bravery, defending his country and staying loyal to Brazil.