MUHAMMAD MAHMOOD ALAM:
Air commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam (known as "M.M. Alam"; born Muhammad Mahmud
Alam; 6 July 1935 – 18 March 2013) was a Pakistani fighter pilot, North
American F-86 Sabre Flying ace and one-star general who served with the Pakistan
Air Force. Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmud Alam, Commander of No 11 Squadron,
was already a notable leader and highly experienced pilot in 1965, when he was
awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat ("The star of courage"), a Pakistani military
decoration, for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. In earning
his decorations, Alam downed five Indian aircraft in less than a minute — the
first four within 30 seconds — establishing a world record. He also excelled in
gunnery competition, a skill that without a doubt contributed greatly to his
becoming the first and the only jet ace in one mission.
Early life :
Born July 6, 1935 to a well-educated family of Kolkata, British India, M.M. Alam
completed his secondary education in 1951 from Government High School, Dacca,
East Pakistan. He joined the PAF in 1952 and was granted commission on October
2, 1953.[4] Alam's brothers are M. Shahid Alam, an economist and a professor at
Northeastern University, and M. Sajjad Alam, a particle physicist at SUNY
Albany.
His family moved to West Pakistan in around 1971, after the secession of East
Pakistan. Being the eldest among 11 siblings in his family, M.M. Alam never
married as he had to share the financial responsibilities of his younger sisters
and brothers. Several of his younger brothers excelled in various academic and
professional careers, owing their success to MM Alam’s hard work.
Contrary to later accusations that also embittered him towards the
establishment, ethnically Bengali Alam remained loyal to Pakistan and not to the
newly created Bangladesh.