Charles Winters

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $5,000 for violating the Neutrality Act of 1939 after helping smuggle three B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers to Israel in the late 1940s.

[2] Winters entered the produce export business[4] after the war, buying decommissioned military cargo planes that were being used to transport fruits and vegetables.

[4] Winters was said to have decided to help supply the Israeli forces as a favor to his Jewish friends, and received no monetary compensation for the work.

[5] In 1961 he received a letter from then Foreign Affairs Minister Golda Meir, commending him for his efforts[6] and inviting him to the opening of a new memorial in Israel.

[6] Winters' son James, along with his close childhood friend Frank Jimenez, began campaigning for his father's pardon after his death, receiving the support of, among others, 21 Congressmen,[12] the American Jewish Committee,[13] and Steven Spielberg.

[14] Democratic Representative Ron Klein, who led the congressional group, commented that "President Bush made the right decision today to issue a posthumous pardon to Charles Winters, a Florida resident who played an essential role in the creation of the state of Israel.

"[12] Winters' lawyer, Wilmer Hale partner Reginald Brown, stated, "He did a heroic thing and, at the time, the law didn't reflect our values.