Paul Stobnicke, M.D.

Paul Stobnicke, M.D., was a Captain in the United States Air Corps’ 13th Air Force, 70th Fighter Squadron.

Dr. Stobnicke was born in Oswego County in 1924. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, then-17-year-old Paul Stobnicke obtained his widowed mother’s permission to enlist, and shortly thereafter, he was off to flight school. “It was just something I felt I was born to do,” he said in a Syacuse.com interview. “I’ve never had a fear of flying in any situation.”

Flight school sent Dr. Stobnicke to California, where he met Sybil Barnes in a drugstore near the base. He eventually married Sybil, and her nickname, “Sweet Sybil,” was painted on the nose of his fighter plane.

He flew over 90 missions and was promoted to Captain prior to the conclusion of World War II. He provided air cover at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of the entire War. When the fighting stopped, he returned to the Pacific to visit what is now Taiwan, where he befriended Major Morimitsu, a Japanese soldier, who had been an enemy not so long before. Major Morimitsu presented him with a ceremonial sword and a handwritten note, which begins with: “For my friend, Capt. Paul Stobnicke … "

During the War, Dr. Stobnicke became interested in medicine. When the War ended, he was 21, returned back to his home in Central New York and decided to attend medical school at Syracuse University. When he graduated, he and his wife remained in Syracuse.

As a young man, he quickly proved that he was a talented and dedicated pilot, who would then utilize such dedication for his post-war endeavors in medicine. In many ways, his war experience helped to shape him. He was a family doctor for decades in Syracuse and served as Medical Director for the Syracuse City School District.

Revered for his lifelong service and dedication, he is referred to by many as “Dr. Paul.” Many of his friends also enjoy pointing out that he also has a fine singing voice.