Last Wartime rank:
Lt. Colonel

Unit(s):
Major, C.O.
317th Fighter Squadron
325th Fighter Group
"Checkertail Clan"
15th USAAF

Lt. Colonel, HQ XV FC

Theatre(s): MTO

Born:
July 3, 1920 at Mayfield, Kentucky

Education:
Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Tennessee
Government Sponsored Civilian Flight Training Program

 Victories:
18 Air, Destroyed
(6 in one sortie, Jan. 30, 1944)

10 Ground, Destroyed

Total Combat Sorties: 100

Strike Rate: N/A

Decoration:
Distingushed Service Cross
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross with OLC
Air Medal with 25 OLC
Purple Heart
French Croix de Guerre with Palm

 Assigned Combat Aircraft:
P-40F
#13

P-40F
#11

P-47
"Vargas' Girl" nose art

P-51C-1-NT
SN: 42-103324
#11

P-51D-5-NA
#11

Crew:
C/C - S/Sgt. "Chuck" Brown

SERVICE: Appointed Flying Cadet, September 1941. Commissioned 2/Lt., 1942 at Foster Field, Texas.
Initially assigned to 57th Ftr. Gp. Transferred to 317th FS/325th Fighter Group HQ, at Theodore Green Field, Hargrove, Rhode Island. Moved with the 325th FG to Langley Field, Virginia to train for aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings with the P-40E Warhawk. Disembarked for North Africa aboard the U.S.S. Ranger, January 8, 1943. Arrived to Cazes Aerodrome at Casablaca on Jan. 19, 1943 - All P-40F's launched safely and without incident! Green served with the 317th FS/325th FG/(12th AF, later 15th AF) as Operations Officer and Squadron C.O. in North Africa and Italy. Later assigned to Staff at Fifteenth Air Force HQ. Remained in service post-war logging 4,000+ flying hours until retirement as a Colonel on April 1, 1964. Employed by the Hughes Aircraft Corporation until retirement on September 10, 1982. .

QUOTE/STORY: During a mission to Villaorba, Capt. Green, CO of the 317th FS destroyed 6 E/A. 4 Ju-52 Transports, in one pass, a Bf 109 fighter in a tree- top chase and a Do-217 bomber. Green was flying Capt. Buzz Hearns' P-47 instead of his assigned Jug that was in for maintenance. Green was unaware that Hearns A/C was loaded with 800 rounds per gun versus the usual Group practice of 400 rounds - Capt. Green broke off any further engagement when he began to see "tracer" fire from his guns which was a Group signal for "down to 50 rounds per gun" or his tally for the mission may have been even higher. Green and his flight were credited with 15 E/A destroyed and the 325th FG total was 38 destroyed and 6 damaged E/A for the Jan. 30, 1944 mission.

NOTES: Top Ace of the 325th FG. At the time Green left combat flying for HQ XV, he was the leading "Ace" in the MTO. Green started out with the number "13" assigned to his P-40F - In his first "scrap" with enemy fighters on May 19, 1943, Green scored his first victory in a head-on pass versus a Bf 109 that put nearly as many holes in his own aircraft. Green's unlucky "#13" was ultimately declared unrepairable and hauled away as junk and he switched to lucky "#11". 3 Air Victories in P-40's, 10 Air in P-47's, 5 Air in P-51's.

   
Sources:
Artwork by Rocky Gooch.