Brooklyn-born Bill Lyons enlisted in the Army Air Force within months of graduating high school in 1942. Although he had never learned to drive a car, he was trained to fly a P-51 Mustang, and flew 63 combat missions over Europe with the 355th Fighter Group in 1944-1945, protecting U.S. bombers from German fighter planes. During his tour, Lyons shot down two German fighters and damaged a Me-262 jet.