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A Nebraska Newspaper Touting the Successes of Colonel Joseph Laughlin
In this article, the recent successes of Colonel Joseph Laughlin in France are described. It includes the details behind a Ninth Air Force record-setting flight that was Colonel Laughlin's idea as payback to the Nazis for all that they had done so…
Colonel Joseph Laughlin Ready to Fly
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.
A Serious Colonel Laughlin in Front of his Last P-47 at Straubing Air Base, Germany
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…
Colonel Joseph Laughlin Grinning in Front of his Original P-47
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…
Colonel Joseph Laughlin Grinning 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…
Colonel Joseph Laughlin and his Ground Crew
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…
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…
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…
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…
U.S. Aircraft Insignia
This insignia was introduced in 1943. The blue and white gloss insignia was referred to as the "star and bar" and was standard on all planes in the U.S. military in WWII. It was painted under both wings to help ground troops avoid friendly fire. The…