Republic P-47 M Thunderbolt
63 Fighter Squadron, 56 Fighter Group
'Shoot!! Youre Faded', UN-F,
Captain Walther L. Flagg
Boxted, England 1945
Boxted, England 1945
Walter L. Flagg was born on April 15th, 1921 in Warwich, Rhode Island. After witnessing the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, he quickly enlisted in the US Army Air Corps.
He received his flying wings in August 1943 and commissioned as an 2nd Lt. Afterwards, he transitioned to the P-47 Thunderbolt and was assigned to 8th Fighter Command in England with the 56th Fighter Group, 63rd Fighter Squadron.
During the war, he flew two tours with the 56th, both flying the P-47, flying all sorts of combat missions. From high level bombing scorting to low level interdiction.
This model represents his third P-47 assigned to him which was the M model. The first was an early D model, named "Baby Snooks", the 2nd was a mid-war D-25 which he named "Dottie" after his wife and the M being the last.
He was credited for two kills with a third damaged over Europe and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with 13 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, The Distinguished Unit Citation and the European Theatre Medal with 13 Battle Stars.
After the war, he would pursue his education and attended the University of RI and received a degree in Engineering Physics. He was also a member of the Rhode Island Air National Guard, flying Thunderbolts and Mustangs. In 1951, he returned to active duty where he was appointed Commander of the 69th Fighter squadron, 58th Fighter Wing based out of Osah Air Force Base in Korea. There he flew patrols with the new F-86 Sabre jets.
When returning back to the US, he retired from flying entriely, and instead focused his efforts into engineering. He would continue his career as an Chief Engineer and Safety Officer in the Gemini Space Program where he was involved with the engineering and planning of the NASA Space Shuttle Program.
He would then fully retire in 1968, at the final rank of Lt. Colonel. Lt. Colonel Walter L. Flagg is buried at Arlington National Cemetary, Washington, DC.
