Colonel Joseph Laughlin Grinning in Front of his Last P-47
Colonel Laughlin has a toothy grin as he is photographed in front of his last P-47
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 war; it had been painted on the same cowl covers that Captain George Rarey had painted before combat begin for the 362nd Fighter Group. Captain George Rarey was KIA on June 27, 1944.
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
1945
Colonel Laughlin in the Cockpit of his Final P-47
Colonel Laughlin prepares for takeoff in his P-47, Five by Five
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 Laughlin untangles his helmet and goggles, cigar in mouth. You can see the three Nazi flags and battleship insignia displayed prominently on his aircraft.
United States Army Air Corps
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
1945
Colonel Joseph Laughlin and his Ground Crew
Colonel Laughlin understood that the pilots were only as good as their grounds crew; without them they would never get off the ground
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 expertise in repairing and arming the planes properly, the 362nd Fighter Group pilots would not have been able to perform at the best of their abilities. The only known member of this crew is crew chief Sergeant Raymond J. Chodor, pictured far left.
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
Colonel Joseph Laughlin Speaks with Sergeant Raymond J. Chodor
Colonel Laughlin and his crew chief, Sgt. Chodor respected and trusted each other
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 plane, it was up to the crew chief to help guide the pilot towards the end of the airstrip for takeoff. The way the pilot was situated before takeoff, he could not see the ground in front of his plane.
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
Late 1944-1945
Colored Illustrations of Colonel Joseph Laughlin and Five by Five by Captain George Rarey
Captain Rarey captured both personas of Colonel Joseph Laughlin
Captain Rarey's renderings were very important to Colonel Laughlin and the airmen of the 362nd. Colonel Laughlin was so enamored with his nose art that he asked his crew chief to salvage them off of every plane he flew. His crew chief, Sergeant Chodor, dutifully replaced the cowl covers and nose art on every P-47 Colonel Laughlin ever flew. Although no one knows what happened to the original nose art, Captain Rarey kept copies of his illustrations in sketchbook journals. The original sketch of Colonel Laughlin is also in this collection.
Captain George Rarey
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
1943-1944
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 record that Colonel Laughlin and the 362nd Fighter Group accrued during WWII caught the attention of staff when they were deciding on how to decorate the P-47 with Bubble Top canopy
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 honor, but after reading <em>The Art of Wing Leadership and Aircrew Morale in Combat</em> by Lt. Col. John J. Zentner, he and the administration decided on Five by Five.
Republic Aviation Corporation
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s
The Original Nose Art of Colonel Joseph Laughlin's P-47, Five by Five
Captain George Rarey's original nose art on Colonel Laughlin's first P-47
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 plane he flew. His crew chief, Sergeant Chodor, did just that. His cowl color would change to yellow when the 379th Fighter Squadron became active combat, and at the end of the war would be checkerboard yellow, blue, and red.
Republic Aviation Company
Captain George Rarey
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
1940s
Colonel Joseph Laughlin's Call Sign on the Fuselage of His P-47, Five by Five
Every pilot had a call sign painted on their plane, another form of identification in the air or on the ground
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.
Republic Aviation Corporation
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s