World War II Honoree

Charles Gene 'Charlie' Goss

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Osage City, Kansas

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN 1941. SERVED FOR A YEAR WITH THE MECHANIZED CAVALRY BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN FEBRUARY 1942. GRADUATED FROM PILOT TRAINING IN DECEMBER 1942, AWARDED SILVER PILOT WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS A P-51 ‘MUSTANG’ FIGHTER PILOT IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 357TH FIGHTER GROUP, 8TH AIR FORCE. HIS UNIT MOVED TO ENGLAND IN NOVEMBER 1943 AND BEGAN COMBAT OPERATIONS ON FEBRUARY 11, 1944. STATIONED AT RAYDON AND LATER AT LEISTON, ENGLAND. SERVED PRIMARILY AS A FIGHTER ESCORT UNIT FOR BOMBERS ATTACKING STRATEGIC TARGETS ON THE CONTINENT. ALSO CONDUCTED COUNTER-AIR PATROLS, MADE FIGHTER SWEEPS, AND FLEW STRAFING AND DIVE-BOMBING MISSIONS. PARTICIPATED IN THE ASSAULT AGAINST THE GERMAN AIR FORCE AND AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY DURING ‘BIG WEEK’, FEBRUARY 20-25, 1944; THE NORMANDY INVASION IN JUNE 1944; ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE) CAMPAIGN FROM DECEMBER 1944 TO JANUARY 1945; AND THE AIRBORNE ASSAULT ACROSS THE RHINE RIVER IN MARCH 1945. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT DOWN BEHIND ENEMY LINES BUT HE EVADED CAPTURE AND RETURNED SAFELY TO FRIENDLY FORCES. HIS UNIT WAS AWARDED 2 PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATIONS. THE FIRST FOR 2 ESCORT MISSIONS AGAINST HEAVY OPPOSITION BY ENEMY FIGHTERS DURING THE FIRST BOMBER RAID BY 8TH AIR FORCE HEAVY BOMBERS ON BERLIN, GERMANY ON MARCH 6, 1944; AND FOR A MISSION TO LEIPZIG, GERMANY ON JUNE 29, 1944. THE SECOND CITATION FOR BREAKING UP A DETERMINED ATTACK AGAINST BOMBERS ON A RAID TO DERBEN ON JANUARY 14, 1945 AND ENGAGING IN AERIAL COMBAT AGAINST A LARGE ENEMY INTERCEPTOR FORCE AND FOR DESTROYING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ENEMY PLANES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN SEPTEMBER 1945 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.