From Njazi Xh. Nelaj
Part Six
Memorie.al / Impressions and memories from the life of the talented pilot from Tragjas, aviation colonel, Niko Selman Hoxha, who fell in the line of duty on November 20, 1965, at the military airport of Rinas, during a combat exercise, with the ‘MIG’-17 F jet, in front of the regiment’s personnel and several military academic cadres. The impressions and memories were gathered by Niazi Xhevit Nelaj, in June – July 2012, in Vlorë, Tirana, Voskopojë, etc., during meetings with people and through telephone conversations, even up to distant Boston. Each meeting and conversation with contemporaries of Niko Hoxha and his relatives has found reflection in this material with fidelity and authenticity. The monograph reflects only a part of the life of the hero, that part which is related to aviation and flying, and does not extend to other spheres of the multifaceted life of the man who propelled military and aerial discipline and training. Niko Selman Hoxha, as he was orderly, disciplined, and extremely correct, in his unit, was distinguished for having an exemplary regimen in life. He did not reside in the unit and did not eat in the pilots’ quality mess, but at home; thanks to the dedication and good management of the situation by his wife, Jolanda, nothing was lacking from his regimen. This writing does not include Niko’s family life, nor does it touch upon his care for his sons, Valer and Sasha, whom he left still young but surrounded with much parental care and love while he was alive. Other writings to follow will surely shed light on those aspects of Niko Hoxha’s life, which have remained somewhat in the shadows in this monograph.
The Author
Continued from the previous issue
Who was Niko Selman Hoxha?
Niko Hoxha was born in the village of Tragjas in the Vlorë district in 1926, to parents from that place. The family of Selman Hoxha and of mother Hava in Tragjas was among the wealthiest and most influential families in the village and surroundings. Niko’s father, Selman Hoxha, was a well-known nationalist and patriot. The house where Niko was born and spent his childhood was a large, two-story building, with a high yard and an arched gate, featuring two large sofas, located between modern Orikum and the village of Tragjas.
Selman Hoxha’s house was the most prominent in the village and was known as the “Big Door.” In that family, many friends and acquaintances from the entire region found shelter and companionship. Selman, Niko’s father, was a wise, clever, and quite authoritative man. His words and opinions were respected and valued in the gatherings of the men. Niko Hoxha grew up in a prosperous family, with wealth. From an early childhood, his keen intelligence and remarkable agility stood out.
With a well-proportioned body and tall stature, Niko distinguished himself from a young age for his cleverness and skill in the childhood games that his peers organized. Among the blessings he enjoyed in his family, his kindness and unpretentiousness were shaped, forming the character of our future hero. Mother Hava left her son without reaching adulthood, and Selman married another woman. The conditions in that family became very difficult for Niko, still a minor, and for his two sisters, Merjemo and Burbuqe, as well as for his sick brother, Ilmi.
Ilmi was sickly from childhood and soon passed away. After him, his sister Merjemo, who was epileptic, drowned. Niko was the eldest in the family and now had the responsibility to care for his sister with disabilities, Burbuqe. Outstanding in his studies and in good health, Niko enrolled in the ‘Normal’ school in Elbasan, while he took his sister Burbuqe to an institution so that he would not be a burden to his stepmother.
At the ‘Normal’ school in Elbasan, Niko Hoxha did not live in the dormitory like other students but rented a house with his family’s expenses. Selman Hoxha’s “pocket” covered the rent for his son’s house. At the ‘Normal’ school in Elbasan, Niko Hoxha grew, strengthened, and matured, forming with a solid education and a broad culture, which he manifested everywhere, at any time. His prominent personality was shaped and demonstrated precisely there, in the ‘Normal’ school of Elbasan. From the early years of Niko’s student life, his political positioning became clear.
Nurtured as a fervent patriot from his “roots,” Niko Hoxha, like many of his peers, was deeply affected and offended by the fascist occupation of the country. He quickly came into contact with the ideas of the National Liberation Anti-Fascist War and was an active participant in the progressive student circles of the time, becoming a promoter of the Anti-Fascist Movement of the students at the ‘Normal’ school.
As veteran pilot Gezdar Riza Veipi, who loved and respected Niko Hoxha greatly, told me: “Niko Hoxha was a ‘wolf’ of the student movement in the ‘Normal’ school of Elbasan. He was a good agitator and led student protests against the fascist occupation. Niko Hoxha’s anti-fascist activity quickly caught the attention of the occupiers, making it impossible for him to continue studying at that school.”
In the most fitting circumstances, Niko, along with his friends and peers, became a partisan and was assigned as the youth leader in the 5th Assault Brigade. In the combat actions of the units in which he participated, Niko Hoxha, young and spirited, stood out for his bravery, courage, and fearlessness. The hatred he harbored for the occupiers and the wave of war that swept him away made him a relentless fighter, ready to make the greatest sacrifice for the liberation of his homeland.
If any criticisms were made against him by his fellow fighters, they had to do with his fearlessness in action. Niko Hoxha fought on foot and awaited the enemy’s bullets head-on. His comrades and commanders advised him that when he launched into an attack, he should employ maneuvers like his comrades, rather than charging directly on foot. After the liberation of the country, some of the fighters of the National Liberation Army were sent to study in various military schools in Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.
The former partisans, who had stepped on the territory of the country with a rifle in hand, chasing the occupiers and their instruments, now that the homeland was liberated, had to take up artillery, airplanes, tanks, naval ships, and other military equipment of the time. It was a time when the People’s Army, emerging from the partisan struggle, needed to be reorganized and equipped with military technology to respond to new situations and tasks.
The young men of the people, although uneducated or with little schooling, but determined and with burning hearts, expressed the desire to sit at the desks of foreign auditoriums, with the determination to master military science and technology, which until then had never occurred to them. With a sense of responsibility for their tasks and with their families’ blessings, the adolescents emerging from the war as victors plunged into the work of acquiring the advanced scientific knowledge of the time.
The more educated young men, those with better physical development and more notable intellect, set out on the difficult paths of the sky. This was a challenging and previously unknown field in our country. Naturally, the first to enter these unknown pathways were the ‘normalists’ of Elbasan and their peers. Of course, advanced technology required more knowledge and greater dedication. Among them stood out the zealous boys from the ‘Normal’ school of Elbasan, such as Niko Hoxha, Edip Ohri, Fari Bubësi, and the brave fighter from Armen, Vlorë, Babaçe Imeri (Faiku).
Other young men, former partisans, also set out on the path of the sky, which, although they did not have the educational level of their peers, had been tested on the battlefield for their courage and bravery and had an ambition to succeed. One doesn’t become a pilot without being brave. Courage and bravery are essential companions of a pilot. This is neither the place nor the time to make records or classifications of values, but one thing I want to emphasize strongly. The boy “like an eagle” from Tragjasi of Vlorë, Niko Selman Hoxha, from the very beginning stood out above the levels of his peers in every respect.
The group of boys who would study to become aviators, including Niko, was sent to the aviation school in Pančevo, Yugoslavia. At school, Niko Hoxha and his colleagues mastered the theory of flight and piloting techniques on World War II propeller airplanes. Upon graduating from school, at the Pančevo airport, Niko Hoxha was commissioned as an officer and received his pilot’s diploma.
After the break in relations between our country and Yugoslavia in 1948, Niko Hoxha and his friends relocated to qualify in military schools and other aircraft in the Soviet Union. Niko was set to attend the Aviation School in the city of “Engels,” where he would fly on the bomber aircraft, the propeller ‘PE’-2. On March 12, 1948, Niko Hoxha, holding the rank of second captain, was in the city of “Engels,” where he began his qualification program. Niko’s contemporary, retired pilot Bajram Hitaj from Kuçi i Kurveleshit, recalls that time:
“Niko quickly became, for us, a friend, a brother, a parent, and a teacher. He was close to us, teaching and educating us about life, as we did not know many things. He helped us with our studies, as we couldn’t speak a word of Russian, and he taught us how to behave as well. We stayed together for a year. He returned to Albania and later went to the Aviation Academy in Moscow, which was the school where leaders of weapons and military services were trained.”
During 1951, Niko Hoxha and his colleague Edip Ohri studied at the Aviation Command Academy in Moscow. While attending academic studies in Moscow, both went to the airport in the city of Novosibirsk (then the Soviet Union), where they transitioned to the fighter aircraft, the propeller ‘YAK’-9 P, which would soon be supplied to the Albanian Air Force. Unlike his colleague, Niko Hoxha was quite passionate about theoretical lessons and practical flights. He strived to learn as much as possible and in detail. When it came to learning theory and practice, Niko Hoxha immediately stood out due to his dedication, seriousness, and diligence.
Bajram Hitaj, one of the Albanian pilots who was then studying in Novosibirsk and flying at that city’s airport, recalls Niko Hoxha coming to their airport to transition to the YAK-9P aircraft: “When he came to us, he wanted to learn as much as possible from our experience. He would ask us about everything we knew. Niko would say to us, ‘teach me, please!’ That was Niko Hoxha—diligent and modest. Until that point, Niko had flown on the PE-2, UTB-2, and TU-2 aircraft. He would also master the demanding YAK-9P aircraft.”
Before being sent to the Command Academy in Moscow, Niko Hoxha was appointed commander of the helicopter squadron at the airport in Laprakë, Tirana. With great enthusiasm and skill, he gathered pilots and aircraft from various places and schools to organize a squadron. Readers may forgive the comparison, but I can say that this conglomerate of airplanes and people resembled a sack of flour, which the miller filled with different grains. With his individual qualities, Niko Hoxha succeeded in overcoming this challenge of the times. Niko’s efforts and those of his colleagues culminated in the successful ascent into the skies over Tirana of the first combat aircraft of the Albanian aviation, piloted by the talented and cultured pilot, Peço Polena, from Korça.
After completing his studies at the Command Academy in Moscow in 1952, Niko Hoxha was appointed commander of the only squadron in our country equipped with fighter aircraft of the YAK-9P type. At that time, Niko Hoxha held the rank of first captain and was soon promoted to major. Niko’s colleague, pilot Edip Ohri, was appointed as the squadron’s commissioner. The brave short-statured man, Babaçe Faiku, was appointed as deputy commander, and the talented pilot from Përmet, Fari Bubësi, served as the chief of staff.
A wise choice was made—three former ‘normalists’ were entrusted with leading the newly formed aviation of Albania. The tasks of growth were as difficult as they were unknown. Niko Hoxha faced them with dedication, competence, initiative, and courage. Bravery was a constant companion of this man in every case and situation. Regarding this, Batja, who had known Niko Hoxha for a long time, told me: “Niko Hoxha was an excellent educator and teacher on the ground. In the air, he was a good instructor, guiding aviation lessons with the motto: let’s do it together and you do it yourself. He would correct you competently.”
The year 1954 also brought to Albania the “era” of jet aviation. The more experienced and promising pilots were sent to the airport in Grozny, in the Soviet Union, to master the MIG-15 BIS combat aircraft, which was equipped with a jet engine. A new aerial technology was emerging, with aircraft featuring more advanced technology, which could only be effectively utilized by competent individuals with scientific knowledge.
Among the group of pilots sent to Grozny for qualification was the brave and knowledgeable pilot, Niko Selman Hoxha. He and his colleagues: Edip Ohri, Fari Bubësi, Peço Polena, Haki Jupasi, Vasil Trasha, and Masar Aga, studied and flew for a full 9 months at the Grozny airport (Soviet Union) until they mastered the new type of aircraft, the ‘MIG-15 BIS.’
The first contingent of this type of aircraft arrived in our country in February 1955; aboard the Soviet ship “Obi.” The planes were assembled at the Laprakë airport in Tirana by Soviet technicians from the factory that produced them and were transported by air, piloted by Soviet pilots, to the newly constructed airport of “Stalin City.” Later, the aircraft for the second squadron arrived on the same ship.
These were assembled at the Laprakë airport and then relocated to the “Stalin City” airport by the Albanian pilots who had studied in Grozny. The relocation was completed on June 16, 1955. That year, Niko Hoxha was appointed commander of the first fighter-bomber aviation regiment in “Stalin City,” which had just been equipped with the MIG-15 BIS jet aircraft.
With his talent as an organizer, initiative, and characteristic courage, Niko Hoxha faced the challenges of growth with bravery and wisdom, effectively consolidating and leading a regiment that reached unprecedented heights, continuously climbing upwards. An undeniable merit for him was the involvement of some pilots in the flight program who, for various reasons, mainly of a subjective nature, had been unable to master the propeller aircraft JAK-9P.
Some of them, such as Goxho Kondi, Petrit Malindi, Zebo Durmishi, among others, despite receiving strong assistance and support from the commander, could not keep pace with their peers, and their flying practice removed them from the ranks of the jet pilots. Others like Koço Andoni, Tomor Avdia, Lulo Musai, and Kosta Dede, who dedicated themselves more and demonstrated good flying skills, overcame the “barrier” of difficulties and moved from one type of aircraft to the more sophisticated planes of the time, becoming recognized leaders in various units of the Albanian Air Force.
Quickly, the year 1958 arrived. The new Albanian aviation required sophisticated combat aircraft that were comparable, if not more advanced, than the planes available to our unfriendly neighbors. A group of pilots from the aviation regiment of “Stalin City,” who had until then been flying the MIG-15 BIS aircraft, were sent to the steppes of Russia to master the MiG-19PM, one of the most advanced aerial technologies of the time.
Niko Hoxha’s initiative and courage were once again put to the test in selecting the pilots who would transition to these aircraft. The selection was difficult because, at that time, none of our pilots going to fly the MIG-19 PM fighter-interceptor, equipped with locators and armed with air-to-air guided missiles, met the requirements needed for this type of aircraft.
The colonel responsibly selected the most advanced pilots of the regiment, ensuring that when they went to school, our boys would not feel out of place, and the prestige of our army and country would not diminish in the eyes of their colleagues from other Eastern countries. In fact, the Albanian pilots in the group transitioning to the supersonic MIG-19 PM aircraft demonstrated individual and collective values of brave and courageous people, managing to perform better in several aspects compared to their peers.
While part of the pilots of the “Stalin City” aviation regiment were flying over the steppes of Russia, Niko Hoxha needed to engage in “titanic” work in Albania, where the terrain and weather conditions were not like the vast expanses of Russia, to ensure that the remaining pilots in the regiment were prepared at levels that would meet the demands of the time, flying the MIG-15 BIS fighter-bomber aircraft./Memorie.al
Continuation in the next issue
