Colonel Don Blakeslee, CO of the 4th Fighter Group, at the Sherry-Netherland hotel in Manhattan when on leave from 7 September to 20 October 1944. Original caption: "Pictured at the Sherry Netherlands Hotel here is Col. Donald J.M. Blakeslee, 27, of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. He has 2 distinguished service crosses and 7 clusters. As group commander he led [the] first fighters over Berlin and [the first] shuttle mission to Russia. Overseas for 3 years and 8 months he has between 400 and 500 combat missions to his credit."