Promotion Ceremony and Posthumous Medal Presentation Honors Family’s Enduring Military Service

 By Maj. William Carraway, historian, Georgia National Guard

 

Left: Technical Sgt. Isabello Viernes. Right: Lt. Col. Alejandro Pascual IV smiles as family members of his great grandfather, Technical Sgt. Isabelo Viernes
are presented with medals earned by Viernes in World War II during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga. May 21, 2023.
Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

Major Alejandro V. Pascual IV was promoted to lieutenant colonel during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga. May 21, 2023. The ceremony also provided the opportunity to honor the Pascual family’s history of military service as Maj. Gen. Tom Carden, Georgia’s Adjutant General, presented medals earned by Pascual’s great grandfather, Technical Sgt. Isabelo Viernes of the 45th Infantry Regiment (Philippine Scouts), to Pascual’s family.

 

Major General Tom Carden, Adjutant General of the Georgia National Guard presents the Bronze Star Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, and World War II
Victory Medal earned by Technical Sgt. Isabelo Viernes in World War II to members of the Viernes family during a ceremony at the Clay National Guard
Center in Marietta, Ga. May 21, 2023. Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

“Today is certainly a special day for our organization and for our great nation,” said Carden in his remarks before the medal presentation. “I can’t tell you how humbled I am to be in the room with a family with servicemen with such an inspiring legacy that we can learn from. Lieutenant Colonel Pascual’s desire to share the spotlight with his grandfather, Sgt. Isabelo Viernes, on such a special day is emblematic of our shared values as an organization.”

 

Family members of Alejandro Pascual IV place the new rank insignia of lieutenant colonel on his uniform during a promotion ceremony
at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga. May 21, 2023. Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

Joining Carden in offering congratulations to Pascual and his family were Col. Jean Paul Laurenceau, commander of the 201st Regional Support Group; Brigadier General Bobby Christine, special assistant to the director of the Army National Guard who also assisted Pascual’s family during the pinning ceremony; and Col. Brian Bischoff, state judge advocate for the Georgia National Guard who administered the oath of office to Pascual. But it was Pascual himself who riveted the audience with the story of how his journey of military service was inspired by learning the story of his great grandfather’s experiences in the 45th Infantry Regiment.

 

45th Infantry Regiment History. 
Courtesy of Lt. Col. Alejandro Pascual IV. 

The 45th Regiment was organized in the United States in 1917 and sailed to the Philippines in December 1920. In 1942, the 45th defended the Philippines against relentless Japanese assaults earning three Distinguished Unit Citations and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for actions on the Bataan Peninsula. Soldiers of the regiment were decorated for valor earning a Medal of Honor, six Distinguished Service Crosses, 27 Silver Star Medals. Viernes was one of 11 Soldiers of the 45th to earn the Bronze Star Medal.

 

Growing up, Pascual had heard stories of Viernes military service, but it was not until he embarked on a history project in high school that he learned the full story of his ancestor’s service in World War II from his grandmother.

 

Viernes fought with distinction at the Battle of the Pockets and the Battle of the Points while enduring limited rations for more than three months. His regiment, and the defenders of the Philippines, fought valiantly despite overwhelming odds. Major General Edward King, overall commander of forces on Bataan surrendered on April 9, 1942 only after all hope of effective resistance was gone. Viernes and what remained of King’s 78,000 man force would endure a forced march of more than 65 miles to captivity which came to be known as the Bataan Death March.

 

Pascual pursued a bachelor’s degree in history from Furman University enroute to receiving his Juris Doctorate from Samford University. Pascual’s studies in history further nursed his interest in his family’s experience in World War II. He discovered that his grandmother’s memories were not only borne out by military service records but that his great grandfather had never received some of the medals he earned in the conflict.

 

Roster of Company E, 45th Infantry Regiment.
Isabelo Viernes is listed with the sergeants.
Courtesy of Lt. Col. Alejandro Pascual IV.

“While the archives confirmed the list of his decorations,” said Pascual, “we know he
never physically received (his Bronze Star Medal and Prisoner of War Medal) because the regulation change that made him eligible was after the war and the(Prisoner of War) Medal wasn't even created until after he died.”

 

Pascual did not learn the full story of Viernes’ service until recently when he received more than 400 pages of records from the National Archives. The records revealed that Viernes had entered service in 1914, a fact previously unknown by Pascual and his family, and had earned the World War I Victory Medal. Surviving both world wars and the horrific effects of the Death March, Viernes retired in 1947 with full veteran benefits and received US citizenship.

 

Pascual had initially planned to commemorate Viernes’ service in his remarks during his promotion ceremony, but after learning the full extent of his service record, he approached his chain of command about the possibility of conducting a medal presentation in conjunction with his promotion, a proposal which was met with enthusiastic support from the Georgia National Guard.

 

Pascual began his military career in 2012 with the Georgia National Guard and was assigned as a defense counsel with the 1078th Trial Defense Service. In 2014 he mobilized to Kuwait where he served as an international and operational law attorney. During the deployment, US Army Central Command became the headquarters of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve whereupon Pascual provided counsel on rules of engagement for operations in Iraq and Syria. Returning to the United States the following year, Pascual was assigned as trial counsel for the 560th Brigade Support Battalion. With the inactivation of the 560th BFSB in 2016, transferred to the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and was subsequently assigned to the 78th Troop Command to serve as the brigade’s command judge advocate. He is currently the command judge advocate for the 201st Regional Support Group and serves as the deputy chief assistant district attorney for the District attorney’s office, Columbia Judicial Circuit of Georgia.

 

Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro Pascual IV stands before a display he built to honor the World War II service of his great grandfather Technical Sgt. Isabelo
Viernes who served with the 45th Infantry Regiment and survived the Bataan Death March. Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

While the ceremony provided the opportunity to recognize generations of service, Pascual was humble about his part, preferring to recognize Viernes’ service over his own.

 

“I would probably have kept (the ceremony) small, said Pascual, “but I did want to honor my great grandfather and figured this was a chance to meaningfully do it in a way that was personal, and also recognize my heritage and that I am part of a greater legacy of Filipinos serving in the US armed forces.”

Ga. ARNG Welcomes 11th State Command Sergeant Major at Ceremony

By Maj. William Carraway, Historian, Georgia National Guard

Command Sergeant Major Jeff Logan and Command Sergeant Major John Ballenger, the 10th and 11th State Command Sergeant Major of the
Georgia Army National Guard. Photos by Maj. William Carraway.

 

Command Sergeant Major Jeff Logan relinquished responsibility as the Georgia Army National Guard’s State Command Sergeant Major during a ceremony May 6, 2023 at Dobbins Air Force Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga. Command Sergeant Major John Ballenger assumed responsibility as the 11th State Command Sergeant Major of the Ga. ARNG.

 

State Command Sgt. Major Jeff Logan visits
Ga. ARNG Soldiers in Atlanta June 3, 2020.
Photo by Maj. William Carraway

The ceremony marked the culmination of Logan’s 40-year military career as he embarks on retirement. Logan enlisted in the United States Army in April 1983 and served initially as an M1A1 tank crewman. Near the end of his eight years of active Army service, Logan mobilized overseas during the Gulf War. In February 1991, Logan enlisted in the Georgia National Guard’s Company C, 878th Engineer Battalion in Lyons, Ga. He rose through the ranks while serving in the 878th as a heavy equipment operator, team leader and squad leader.

 

Logan deployed to Iraq in March 2003 as a platoon sergeant with Company A, 878th Engineer Battalion. Upon returning to the United States he was promoted and assigned as first sergeant of the 877th Engineer Company which was converted from the former Company B, 878th Engineer Battalion.

 

Logan oversaw the transition of the 877th as the search and extraction element under Joint Task Force 781st Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives. In December 2010, Logan deployed to Afghanistan where the 877th conducted combat engineer missions in three separate regional commands.

 

First Sergeant Jeff Logan and Soldiers of the 877th Engineer Company attend a ceremony December 13, 2010 in Augusta to mark
the unit’s deployment to Afghanistan. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Upon returning from Afghanistan, Logan was advanced to the rank of command sergeant major and assigned as the senior enlisted leader of the 878th Engineer Battalion which deployed to Afghanistan in 2013. During their deployment, Soldiers of the 878th conducted route clearance operations over a wide area of Afghanistan providing freedom of movement to coalition partners and ensuring the safety of Afghan citizens. Additionally, the 878th trained Soldiers of the Afghan National Army in demolitions and explosives eradication. The 878th returned home in January 2014.

 

State Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Logan Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Baker, senior enlisted leader of the Augusta-based 878th Engineer Battalion
Sept. 1, 2021, at the unit’s headquarters where engineers from across the state assembled prior to mobilization to Louisiana in response
to Hurricane Ida. Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

Logan was assigned as the command sergeant major for the rear detachment of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team after returning from Afghanistan, and in December 2014, assumed responsibility as the senior enlisted leader of the 48th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, which converted to form the 177th Brigade Engineer Battalion. Transferring to the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in 2016, Logan deployed with the 648th Military Engagement Team which operated throughout the Central Command area of responsibility.

 

Returning from his fifth deployment, Logan was assigned as the command sergeant major for the 201st Regional Support Group. He served as the senior enlisted leader of the 201st RSG rear detachment until appointed to serve as the tenth State Command Sergeant Major of the Georgia Army National Guard in July 2019.

 

State Command Sgt. Major Jeff Logan briefs Guardsmen of the Monroe-based 178th Military Police Company at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, Ga.,
 before their departure to the country of Georgia to participate in exercise Agile Spirit 19 on July 23, 2019. Photo by Spc. Tori Miller.

Logan’s tenure as State Command Sergeant Major saw unprecedented mobilization of the Ga. ARNG in support of overseas and domestic operations. Nearly 2,000 of Georgia’s Citizen-Soldiers mobilized overseas to all six geographic combatant commands. In Georgia, Guardsmen conducted missions of unprecedented scope as part of the state’s coordinated response to the Coronavirus pandemic and augmented law enforcement agencies during civil unrest in Atlanta and Washington D.C.

 

State Command Sgt. Major Jeff Logan confers with an Atlanta Police Department officer during a protest in Atlanta June 2, 2020.
Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

Succeeding Logan is Command Sgt. Major John Ballenger who has extensive experience in leadership and operations. Born and raised in Georgia, Ballenger enlisted in the Army in 1995. Ballenger served initially as a cannon crewman with the 4th Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. In 2001, Ballenger joined the Georgia Army National Guard as an infantryman with Company H, 121st Infantry Long Range Surveillance. Transferring to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 108th Armor Regiment, Ballenger deployed to Iraq as part of the 48th Brigade’s 2005 mobilization.

 

Staff Sgt. John Ballenger hugs his son during a premobilization ceremony in 2005. Photo courtesy of Command Sgt. Major John Ballenger.

Following the establishment of the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade in 2007, Ballenger was assigned to Troop B, 3rd Squadron 108th Cavalry Regiment where he served as a platoon sergeant and later first sergeant. For the next decade, Ballenger served as first sergeant for the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Headquarters Troop and Troop A of the 3-108th, and the 165th Quartermaster Company. 

Captain Craig Henderson and 1st Sgt. John Ballenger, command team of the 165th Quartermaster Company in 2015. Photo courtesy of Command Sgt. Major Ballenger.

Promoted to sergeant major, Ballenger mobilized to Afghanistan from 2018-2019 as operations sergeant major for the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. 

Command Sgt. Major John Ballenger with Afghan National Security Forces during the 48th IBCT's deployment to Afghanistan from 2018-2019.
Photo courtesy of Command Sgt. Major John Ballenger.

Upon returning from Afghanistan, Ballenger was assigned to the 1-108th, as operations sergeant major and later served as the squadron command sergeant major. In 2022, Ballenger accepted responsibility as command sergeant major of the 48th IBCT.

Colonel Jason Baker, commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, passes the noncommissioned officer’s sword to Command Sgt. Major
John Ballenger, incoming brigade command sergeant major of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Jan. 9, 2021. Photo by Capt. Bryant Wine.

Brigadier General Tom Blackstock retires after nearly 40 years of military service

 By Maj. William Carraway, Historian, Georgia National Guard

 

Collage: Left: Brigadier General Tom Blackstock at his retirement ceremony May 5, 2023. Photo by Maj. William Carraway. Right: Headquarters
Detachment, 122nd Infantry Regiment in December 1983 with Pvt. Tom Blackstock highlighted. Image courtesy of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock.

Friends, family and fellow service members gathered at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga.  for the retirement ceremony of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock whose military career spanned five decades. In the audience were Soldiers who served with Blackstock from his earliest enlisted days, members of his Reserve Officer Training Corps class at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State Defense Force Volunteers who served under Blackstock’s leadership.

 

Cadet Lt. Col. Tom Blackstock attends a joint services ROTC award ceremony in the spring of 1986. Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock.

Blackstock entered military service in 1982, enlisting as a private in the Georgia National Guard’s Headquarters’ Detachment of the 1st Battalion, 122nd Infantry Regiment. After completing basic combat and advanced infantry training at Fort Benning, Blackstock served two years with the Guard before accepting a scholarship through the Reserve Officer Training Corps to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. En route to completing his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Blackstock completed the ROTC program, rising to command the cadet battalion.

 

Second Lt. Tom Blackstock with 2nd Lt. Antoine Bodo of the Central African Republic Army conduct medium girder bridge training during the Army
Engineer Officer Basic Course at Fort Belvoir, Va. in January 1988. Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Blackstock.

Upon graduating in 1987, Blackstock completed initial branch training and was assigned as a platoon leader with the 27th Engineer Battalion at Fort Bragg. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant in 1989 and mobilized to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield the following year as the executive officer of Company B. As Desert Shield gave way to Desert Storm, Blackstock was assigned as the assistant operations officer for the 27th En Bn. Returning to the United States, he completed the Officer Advanced Course at Fort Leonard Wood before leaving active duty to serve in the Army Reserve.

 

First Lieutenant Tom Blackstock with the 27th Engineer Battalion in Iraq in 1991. Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock.

In November 1996, Captain Blackstock rejoined the Georgia National Guard as commander of the Marietta-based Headquarters Company, 265th Engineer Group. After a successful command tenure, he was promoted to major and returned to the 265th to serve as the group's logistics officer in 1998. That same year, Blackstock began a civilian career with the Georgia National Guard as an assistant facilities engineer with the Construction Facilities Management Office where he would remain for the next decade.

Captain Tom Blackstock assumes command of Headquarters
Company,265th Engineer Group in November 1996.
Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock.

In November 1999, Blackstock was appointed operations officer for the Statesboro-based 648th Engineer Battalion, an element of the 48th Brigade.

 

In April 2002 Blackstock was named assistant director of facilities for the CFMO. Promotion to lieutenant colonel followed in June of that year and in April 2003, Blackstock returned to the 648th Engineer Battalion, this time as its commander.

 

Lieutenant Colonel Tom Blackstock with Soldiers of the 648th Engineer Battalion at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.
in January, 2004. Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock.

Following battalion command, Blackstock continued his civilian career in the CFMO and in November 2004 was assigned as deputy commander for the 265th Engineer Battalion, then based in Decatur. From August 2005 to April 2006, Blackstock served as executive officer for the Decatur-based 78th Troop Command. 

December 10, 2010: Major Gen. Maria L. Britt
presents the Meritorious Service Medal to Col.
Thomas H. Blackstock for outstanding leadership
during his two years as commander of the 78th
TC. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Promoted to Colonel in August 2006, Blackstock was appointed to command the 265th Engineer Group and was elevated to director of installation management with the CFMO. As commander of the 265th, Blackstock oversaw the relocation of the unit to Metter in 2007 and continued in command until January 2009 when he was appointed commander of the 78th Troop Command. Blackstock commanded the 78th TC from February 8, 2009 to December 4, 2010 during which time the brigade mobilized nearly 850 Soldiers to Iraq, Afghanistan and the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

 

Concurrent with his assignment as commander of the 78th TC, Col. Blackstock served as the director of operations for the Georgia Army National Guard beginning in March 2010. Leading a staff of 22, Blackstock shepherded the operations directorate through its move to Building 447 at the Clay National Guard Center. In March 2012, Blackstock left the operations directorate and mobilized to Kabul, Afghanistan as the chief of the military technical agreement branch. As the MTA chief, Blackstock worked with Afghan ministries and coalition partners to synchronize efforts and served as the senior national representative for United States forces at International Security Assistance Force headquarters.

 

Upon returning from Afghanistan, Blackstock was appointed chief of the joint staff of the Georgia National Guard where he developed and executed programs with a staff of 50.

 

Colonel Tom Blackstock participates in a memorial ceremony at the International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan
in June 2012. Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Blackstock.

In April 2014, Blackstock transitioned to serve as the United States Property and Fiscal Officer for Georgia. As USPFO he served as the representative for the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, managing and executing more than $3 billion in federal property and an annual budget of more than $500 million.

 

Colonel Tom Blackstock (standing, top-center) with the staff of the United States Property and Fiscal Office, Georgia National Guard in 2014.
Photo courtesy of Brig Gen. Tom Blackstock.

In 2016, Blackstock retired from civil service while continuing forward in his military career. In July 2016 he was appointed to command the 78th Troop Command for a second time. Promotion to Brigadier General followed in September.

 

CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., July 10, 2016 – Colonel Tom Blackstock assumes command of the 78th Troop Command
from Brig. Gen. Craig McGalliard during a ceremony. Photo by Sgt. Shye Stallings.

While still in command of the 78th TC, Blackstock was appointed to concurrently serve as the commanding general of the Georgia State Defense Force, a component of the Georgia Department of Defense comprised of more than 500 volunteers who augment National Guard operations during emergency operations. Under his command, State Defense Force volunteers assisted efforts across Georgia as part of the state’s coordinated response to the Coronavirus pandemic. During this response, the State Defense Force completed more mission hours across the state than in any previous domestic operation.

Brigadier General Tom Blackstock with members of the Ga. State Defense force at Fort Stewart, Ga. in 2019. Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock.

During his three years in command of the 78th TC, the brigade deployed eight units overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Operation Atlantic Resolve.

 

VAZIANI, Country of Georgia, August 2, 2017 – Brigadier General Tom Blackstock, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 78th Troop Command
presents coins to Sgt. Caleb Taylor and Cpl. Andrew Fregine of the Ga. ARNG’s 810th Engineer Company at the Vaziani Training Area near Tiblisi,
country of Georgia, where the 810th is conducting combat engineer training in support of Exercise Noble Partner 2017. Photo by Capt. William Carraway.

Continuing in command of the Ga. SDF, Blackstock was appointed to serve as the director of the Joint Staff in Marietta Georgia in August 2019, a role he held until February 2020 when he assumed duties as the director of the Georgia National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe Program. In his 18 months as the Ga. YCP director, Blackstock oversaw operations at campuses at Fort Stewart, Fort Gordon and Milledgeville directing the efforts of more than 300 teachers, counselors, and career advisors.

 

On November 24, 2020, Blackstock relinquished command of the Ga. SDF to Brig. Gen. Mark Gelhardt while continuing to serve as the executive director of the National Guard Association of Georgia through August 2021. A longtime resident of Marietta, Blackstock serves as chief executive officer of Arena Leadership Consultants. He is active in community organizations to include the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the National Guard Family Support Foundation and National Guard Association.

 

Governor Brian Kemp presents the Oglethorpe Distinguished Service Medal to Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock at the state capitol in 2020.
Photo courtesy of Brig. Gen. Tom Blackstock.

History of the 128^th Observation Squadron

By Maj. William Carraway, Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

Major George Finch (left) commander of the 128th Observation Squadron stands with his staff beside a North American BC-1A in 1941.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

Georgia’s First Air National Guard Unit

On July 31, 1940, the War Department authorized the organization of the 128^th Observation Squadron, the first air unit of the Georgia National Guard.[1] Major George Finch was appointed to command the unit which was initially based at Atlanta’s Candler Field.[2] The 128^th was comprised of 31 officers and 116^th enlisted soldiers.[3]

The 128th Observation Squadron, Atlanta, Sept. 8, 1941. Georgia National Guard Archives.

The 128^th Observation Squadron in World War II

The 128^th Observation Squadron was federally recognized May 1, 1941. Inducted into the U.S. Army September 15, 1941, the squadron relocated to Fort Benning’s Lawson Field where it fielded a range of observation aircraft beginning with one BC-1A, one Douglas O-46A and one Douglas OZ-38E bi-plane.[4] In December the squadron received an additional O-46A, Two Stinson D-49s (redesignated the L-1), two A-18s and 36 Piper L-4s. Transferred to Meridian, Miss in April 1942 and to New Orleans two months later, the squadron was upgraded with O-47As and began participating in antisubmarine patrol missions over the Gulf of Mexico. 

Members of the 128th Observation Squadron in New Orleans with one of the squadron’s O-47s. Left to right: Simpson, Harvey Orr,
Daddysman, Jack White, Unknown and Edward Ludwig. Georgia National Guard Archives.

The Squadron was redesignated the 21^st Antisubmarine Squadron in March 1943, and upon transferring to Gulfport, Miss. in May, began flying patrols in B-25 Mitchells.[5]

North American B-25 Mitchells of the 26th Antisubmarine Squadron flown out of Gulfport in 1943. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Transferred initially to Washington’s Ephrata Airfield in September, original members of the 128^th OS formed a cadre in Headquarters, 483^rd Bombardment Group with members assigned to all four squadrons: The 815^th, 816^th, 817^th and 818^th. Arriving at MacDill Field in November, the group was equipped with B-17 bombers and the 818^th was redesignated the 840^th Bombardment Squadron.[6] Arriving in Italy in April 1944, the group began combat operations April 12. The squadrons of the 483^rd were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for actions over Memmingen Germany July 18, 1944 and again March 25, 1945 for actions over Berlin.[7] The squadron remained in Europe after the end of the war and was inactivated September 25, 1945.[8]

 

Members of the 840th Bombardment Squadron, formerly the Georgia National Guard’s 128th Observation Squadron can be seen wearing the
Distinguished Unit Citation the squadron received for actions on July18, 1944 during a strike on Memmingen, Germany. Georgia National Guard Archives.

---

[1] War Department, Office of the National Guard Bureau. NGB 325.4 (Air) Ga-3 Organization of the 128th Observation Squadron (Washington D.C.: July 31, 1940).

[2] Marion Williamson to Chief, National Guard Bureau, November 28, 1940.

 

[3] War Department, Office of Chief of the National Guard Bureau. NGB 325.4 Allotted strength of the National Guard of Georgia. Washington D.C.: November 28, 1940.

 

[4] War Department, Executive Order No. 8756. September 15, 1941.

 

[5] William Ridley. Georgia Air National Guard History 1941-2000 (Charlotte: Fine Books Publishing, 2000) 11.

[6] William Ridley. Georgia Air National Guard History 1941-2000 (Charlotte: Fine Books Publishing, 2000) 12.

 

[7] Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (Washington, D.C.,USAF Historical Division Department of the Air Force, 1982) 777.

 

[8] William Ridley. Georgia Air National Guard History 1941-2000 (Charlotte: Fine Books Publishing, 2000) 12.