Browse Items (58 total)

Laughlin_up_close_in_cockpit.JPG
Colonel Laughlin gives a toothy grin as he settles into the cockpit of his P-47. Notice the suit and tie visible under his flight suit.

Laughlin_Riding_Crop.JPG
Colonel Laughlin "acquired" a black Cocker Spaniel in England. After naming him Prince, he made sure to bring the dog to every base they were stationed at throughout France and Germany. As Prince would roam the camps and airstrips, Colonel Laughlin…

Laughlin_Letter_from_Ruba_Oyster.jpg
This article, from a newspaper in Ohio, tells the story of a local pilot getting shot down in the Battle of Bastogne, but insisting on getting back to base as he was expecting to hear news that he was a father. This airman, 1st Lt. Duane E. Oyster,…

Laughlin_in_front_of_plane.JPG
Although he was known as a very jovial person, Colonel Laughlin had a serious side that he never really showed in front of cameras. Here he looks out with a very severe and serious expression while standing in front of his final P-47 in his flight…

Laughlin_in_front_of_original_P47.JPG
Colonel Laughlin talks and smiles as he poses in front of his first P-47. Although he had already been called Five by Five (for looking five feet tall and five feet wide) the elephant with the four leaf clover was a surprise. Captain George Rarey…

Laughlin_in_front_of_chateau(2).JPG
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…

Laughlin_in_front_of_last_nose_art.JPG
Colonel Laughlin is all smiles as he looks out onto the field full of men and planes. He appears in his flight suit with his uniform underneath, ready to take to the skies. The checkerboard cowl color indicates this was taken towards the end of the…

Laughlin_Formal_Photo.JPG
Two portrait photos of Colonel Laughlin. One is formal, with him facing the camera in his Officer's uniform. The other is informal, with him looking off to one side while wearing his flight suit over his uniform. Both photos show him with the same…

Laughlin_and_Grounds_Crew.JPG
Colonel Laughlin, pictured here with grounds crew members of the 379th Fighter Squadron, knew he could rely on his men to do their jobs. He often credited the success of the group to the men who never got the glory because without their skill and…

Laughlin_and_Eisenhower.JPG
Colonel Laughlin was able to meet with the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Forces, General Eisenhower, it seems by chance. There is no indication that this was planned, and it has not been discussed in any sort of detail that has been seen.…
Output Formats

atom, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2