This press release covers the combat record that Colonel Laughlin had accrued up until December of 1944. In it, it discusses his recent promotion, his awards, his most notorious credits of destruction, and an account of all destroyed German…
The XIX Tactical Air Command (TAC) were very effective in their missions to bomb and disrupt the German lines, especially the P-47s in the 362nd Fighter Group. Upon the surrender of German troops at the Beaugency Bridge in France, officers handed…
The before and after shots of the Linder Dam show the short term effect of the damage done by squadrons of the 362nd Fighter Group. The 378th and 379th squadrons took part in the bombings, with Colonel Laughlin leading the way. The pilots were…
Every aircraft in the Army Air Corps had their missions, but none were more diverse than those held by pilots of P-47s. For example, the 362nd Fighter Group had four mission types over the course of their time in service: bomber escort, air…
From left, 1st Lt. Joe Lane, Colonel Laughlin, 1st Lt. John Hill, and an unknown pilot stand in front the the chateau outside of Reims. Colonel Laughlin managed to "acquire" it, and it was large enough to house all of the pilots of the 362nd Fighter…
In this article, Colonel Laughlin describes what he sees on the ground after his 362nd Fighter Group bombed and strafed a region outside Mainz in Germany.
This Nebraska newspaper announces the Croix de Guerre medal has been awarded to Colonel Laughlin for meritorious service. This is after the 362nd had just received their second Presidential Unit Citation.
An unknown newspaper announcing that Colonel Laughlin would be receiving a German Officer's pistol. The pistol was one of thousands turned over when 20,000 German soldiers surrendered, a feat Colonel Laughlin and the 362nd were credited with helping…
With one leg in the cockpit of his P-47, Colonel Laughlin shakes hands with his commander, Colonel Magoffin, the two of them sharing a laugh amidst the stresses of training for war.
The call sign reads as "B8-A". The "B" is for the 379th Fighter Squadron; the "A" is for the 362nd Fighter Group; and the "8" is the plane number within the squadron. This was Colonel Laughlin's call sign in early 1945.