James A. McLaughry, B-24 Pilot, 1st Lieutenant, 8th AF, 392 BG, 576 BSq, Wendling, England, 23 missions Aug. 1944-early 1945. Personal Pilot of Major General Frederick L. Anderson from March 12, 1945 on. (see the documentary Target for Today. Gen. Anderson was responsible for target selection in Germany and was Deputy Commanding General for Operations in the US Strategic Air Forces in Europe. HQ USSTAF ).

James A. McLaughry with David Allen wrote an unpublished 93 page typed manuscript about his WW II experiences entitled A Pathway Through The Sky. See also his You Tube video and 8th AFHS-MN webpage at

https://sites.google.com/site/8thafhsmn/pictures/james-a-mclaughry-b-24…

James A. McLaughry

Enlisted in Aviation Cadets Oct. 1942

Called to Duty Feb. 22, 1943 age 19.

Training Miami Beach, Florida and Kent, Ohio

Preflight and Classification ant San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center.

Soloed in a PT-19 Oct. 1943

Multi-engine in Cessna AT-17

Commissioned Spring 1944, 2nd Lieutenant

Assigned as B-24 Co-pilot.

Phasing school (crew assignment and training) Colorado Springs.

Flew B-24 to England arriving shortly after D-Day.

On more than one occassion they barely made it back to England due to flak and/or ME 109 fighter damage.

Mr. 12, 1945 assigned as the personal pilot for Maj. Gen. Frederick L. Anderson.

Jim McLaughry flew Gen Anderson "around allied held positions in a Twin Beech to assess bomb damage and attend senior staff meetings." He met Generals Eisenhower, Spaatz, Arnold, and Doolittle.







Shot up so many times never had the same plane twice. Flew a total of 21 missions. After the war he flew as pilot for General Anderson, a personal friend of Churchill, and also flew Gen. Spaatz.



Air Medal w 3/Oak Leaf Cluster. EAME theatre w 2/battle stars.