CHARLES R. BLAIR, born August 25,1920 at Whitesburg, Kentucky, enlisted as an Aviation Cadet May 25,1942. He won his Wings at Craig Field with Class 43-G.

Following P-47 training at Richmond, Va. Assigned to the newly formed 366th Fighter Group of the 391st Fighter Squadron at Wilmington, N.C. with Col. Dyke Meyers as the Group CO.

At Thruxton, England the group became operational January '44 under the 9th AF where they flew armed recon flights over France. They escorted B-17's of the 8th AF on raids over Germany and their own B-26's on short hauls. With George Arbuthnot as Group CO they became known as "Arbos Hobos," and were assigned the task of bomb- ing the German rocket-launching pads along the coast of France.

To be effective it became: necessary to increase their bomb load. "When we were told that we were going to haul two-1,OOO pounders we never believed that the old "Jug" would get off the ground.

On my first such mission, I was to fly the CO's wing and I asked Arbo if he thought we'd get 'em off and he told me what to do if he got off. I trailed a little behind him and saw that he was using all the runway - and then he was off! - I shot the 'water' to "Miss Lou" and soon I was off and flying! Gosh dog!"

Other targets were tanks, trains, bridges and air- fields. The group provided air support for the Normandy invasion by flying around the Cherbourg Peninsula and bombing artillery emplacements from the back door. Skip and dive-bombing and strafing continued day- after-day until an airfield was secured and this was the first group to occupy and operate from an air base in France.

1st Lt. Blair was awarded the DFC for extraordinary flying skill and tactical ability, exemplifying outstanding leadership and achievement by leading his squadron on a bombing and strafing mission near Alencon, France on 12 August '44. His aircraft sustained severe damage but he remained in flight and completed his mission. "The old 'Jug' could handle flack better than anything I saw and keep on flying. She saved my neck!"

Other decorations were the Air Medal w /15 Oak Leaf Clusters; the Distinguished Unit Badge and the European/African/Middle Eastern Medal w / 4 Bronze Stars.

Back in the U.S. he was assigned to Las Vegas Aerial Gunnery School in Nevada flying P.39's and 63's. After separation 23 June 1945 he operated a service station for 3-4 years, until the 'bug' put the bite on him and he became an instructor for Veterans under the G.I. Bill.

In 1950 he began working for Barton Distilleries (Barton Brans Ltd.) in Bardstown, Ky. where he is still employed. His beloved wife "Lou" passed away in the early 70's and he has eight wonderful children with whom to share the stories of a pilot and his P-47.