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Nickname:
"Punchy" (Golden Gloves Boxer; West Virginia Champ in 110 lb. class)

Last Wartime rank:
Captain

Unit(s):
328th Fighter Squadron
352nd Fighter Group
September 1943

Theatre(s): ETO

Born:
November 21, 1920
Wilcoe, West Virginia

School:
Gary HS
West Virginia University

Victories:
AIR:
12/22/43 - 1 Shared Destroyed Me-110 w/Major Everett Stewart
12/22/43 - 1 Damaged Me-210
1/5/44 - 1 Shared Destroyed He-177 w/Maj. E. Stewart and Capt. Coleman
6/21/44 - 1 Damaged Me-410
7/1/44 - 1 Damaged Me-109
GROUND:
4/8/44 - 2 Probably Destroyed Me-210s
4/28/44 - 1 Destroyed Ju-88
4/28/44 - 1 Shared Destroyed Ju-88 w/Capt Sharp

5/21/44 - 2 Destroyed He-111Ks

Total Sorties (WW II): 83

Strike Rate: N/A

Decorations:
DFC with 2 OLC
Air Medal with 3 OLC
Distinguished Unit Citation
European Theatre Medal with 4 Battle Stars

Assigned Combat Aircraft:
P-47D-5-RA
SN: 42-8617, PE*K
"Jamie Boy/The West 'by Gawd' Virginian"

P-51B-15-NA
SN: 42-106944, PE*P
"The West 'by Gawd' Virginian"

P-51D-10-NA
SN: 44-13930, PE*P
"The West 'by Gawd' Virginian"

P-51Ds in (?) Missions, Korea

FLIGHT TRAINING:
Santa Ana, CA: April 1942 to June 1942

Oxnard, CA: Primary Flight Training
June 1942 to Aug. 1942 - PT-13B Stearman

Gardner Field, Bakersfield, CA
Aug. 1942 to Oct. 1942 - BT-13 Vultee Vibrator

Luke Field., Phoenix, AZ
Oct. 1942 to Jan. 1943 - AT-6 Texan

Graduated Class 43-A.

RTU:
Assigned to Dale Mabry Field, Tallahassee, FL but took Flight Training in P-47B Thunderbolts at Cross City, FL, Jan. 1943 to April 1943.

Shipped overseas April 1943. Assigned to Atcham, Shrewsbury, England for additional RTU and Gunnery Training flying P-47s; Spitfires; Miles Masters and Lysanders.

NOTES:
Shared in first victory over Heinkel He-177 Heavy Bomber by the 8th Fighter Command.
Flew D-Day missions. Survived engine-failure takeoff crash of Combat Loaded Mustang.
After tours, assigned as Technical Advisor to Public Relations/8th Fighter Command.
Returned U.S. 12/24/44; Assigned to Flight Testing, Wright-Patterson AFB.
Separated from Service in August, 1945; returned to WVU.
Recalled to active duty Jan. 4, 1950.
Discharged from Service - August, 1954.
Currently Editor-Historian of the 352nd FG Association
Wife, Betty, is an Honorary Member of the 487th FS!

Sources:
352nd Fighter Group Association
Artwork by Rocky Gooch.