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The Tail Designations on a P-47
The markings on the vertical stabilizer of a plane had two distinctions. The bottom stripe delineated what type of plane it was; the black stripe was on all P-47s in the war. The tip of the fin designated which fighter group the plane belonged to;…
The P-47 with Bubble Top Canopy in the National Museum of the United States Air Force, redone as Colonel Joseph Laughlin's Five by Five
The P-47D that sits in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, was painted to represent the P-47 flown by Colonel Joseph Lyle Laughlin, Five by Five. The museum's curator, Jeff Duford, put forth several pilots for the…
The Original Nose Art of Colonel Joseph Laughlin's P-47, Five by Five
The cowl color of P-47s fresh from the factory was black. They did not require a new color until they were to enter combat. However, Colonel Laughlin was so enamored with his nose art that he asked his crew chief to salvage the cowl off of every…
The Omaha World-Herald Discusses Nebraskans Getting Their Army Air Corps Wings
This article describes the steps that 4 Nebraskans, including Joseph Laughlin, had to complete in order to be eligible to get their wings. It also describes the air corps program under which the new pilots were sought, as the Army Air Corps realized…
The Omaha World-Herald announces the Return Stateside of Colonel Joseph Laughlin
This article announces the return of Colonel Laughlin stateside after V-J day. It gives a brief overview of his time in the Pacific and European Theaters of Operation.
The Nose Art on the P-47D in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH, Painted as Five by Five
The staff of the National Museum of the USAF researched the original nose art done by Captain George Rarey. They replicated it, in honor of both Colonel Laughlin and Captain Rarey, understanding the respect and love that Colonel Laughlin had for…
The Former Quarters of the 362nd Fighter Group in Reims, France
Lodgings were not always glamorous for the 362nd Fighter Group. However, after Colonel Joseph Laughlin managed to "acquire" a chateau outside Reims, the pilots of the group were upgraded from these tents.
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.
The Certification of Then-2nd Lt. Joseph Laughlin in the US Army Air Corps Reserve
Although war was on the horizon, the US military did not know when it would arrive. This certification of enlistment in the Army Air Corps Reserve states that then-Lt. Laughlin would serve in the Reserves for five years. By the end of that period,…
The 362nd Receives a Presidential Unit Citation
In this article taken from the Associated Press, the 362nd received their second Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy in Germany.