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Colonel Joseph Laughlin Speaks with Sergeant Raymond J. Chodor
This picture shows Colonel Laughlin and his crew chief, Sgt. Chodor, talking before Laughlin prepped for flight. There had to be a lot of trust between a pilot and his crew chief; not only were they responsible for the overall maintenance of the…
General Otto Weyland and Colonel Joseph Laughlin Stand in Front of a Luftwaffe Plane
Colonel Laughlin and General Weyland stand in front of a surrendered German Luftwaffe airplane, a Focke-Wulf (FW) 190 at the Frankfort Rhein Main Air Base in Germany. The plane had been flown in by the German Luftwaffe Commander to be surrendered to…
Men From the 362nd Fighter Group Play Volleyball
Pilots and grounds crew were encouraged to take their minds off of the war by their commander, Colonel Joseph Laughlin. He did not want his pilots to get battle fatigue or his grounds crew to suffer exhaustion so he made sure they had something else…
The Chateau Outside Reims, France
This was the chateau located outside the city of Reims that was "acquired" by Colonel Joseph Laughlin for the pilots of the 362nd Fighter Group. They were the nicest accommodations they would have during the war, and no one wanted to leave.
Ninth Air Force Commanders with Allied Officers
According to the caption on the back, the bottom row, from left to right, is Lt. Col. Paul P. Douglas, Col. Russ Berg, Col. Joseph Laughlin, Col. Edwin S. Chickering, and an unknown commander. On the top, General Otto Weyland is top left and…
A Surrendered German Officer's Pistol and Memorandum of Presentation
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…
A Rendering of Then-Major Joseph Laughlin by Captain George Rarey
When they were not training, flying missions, sleeping, or eating, pilots needed downtime to unwind. Captain George Rarey did so by sketching. In this illustration, Captain Rarey catches an easy-going face on then-Major Laughlin as members of the…
Colonel Laughlin in the Cockpit of his Final P-47
This rare color photo of Colonel Laughlin was taken by a special group of the Army Air Corps. Tasked with getting color photos and footage of P-47 pilots in the Ninth Air Force, they made sure to get shots of the Group Commander. Here, Colonel…
Mini Medal Set from Colonel Joseph Laughlin
These miniature medals represent the hardwork, determination, bravery, and leadership that Colonel Laughlin displayed throughout his 30 year military career. The medals he earned in World War II were (in order of importance): the Distinguished…
Propeller of a P-47
The propeller on the engine of a P-47. The engine, a Pratt and Whitney R-2800, helped to determine the size of the plane. The engine was covered with metal plates known as a cowling. During combat, the cowling cover was color-associated with the…