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Lt. Gen. Charles C. "Buck" Pattillo - Pilot |
487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group |
United States Air Force Thunderbird #2 |
A Distinguished Veteran |
| Charles “Buck” Pattillo and his twin brother Cuthbert, were born seven minutes apart on June 3, 1924, in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Atlanta Technical High School in 1942, and enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps in November, 1942 as an aviation cadet. After receiving training in the P-40 Warhawk (specifications), he received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant at Marianna, Florida, in March, 1944. He went to the European Theater and was assigned to the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, the famous “Bluenosed Bastards of Bodney”. He flew 37 combat missions in the P-51D Mustang (specifications), (PZ-W), number 44-13737, which he called “Little Rebel”. On April 16, 1945, he destroyed three FW-190’s and two Me-109’s, giving him five total air-to-ground victories. He was released from active duty in December, 1945, and he and his brother enrolled as engineering students at the Georgia Institute of Technology. While attending school, he participated in the Reserve Military Program with the 128th Fighter Squadron, 54th Fighter Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard, flying the P-47 Thunderbolt (specifications). |
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| 'Buck' Pattillo with brother 'Bill' Pattillo |
| Air Demonstration Teams |
| In February, 1948, he was recalled to active duty as a P-51 pilot, and was assigned to the 31st Fighter Group in Albany, Georgia. He was assigned with his brother as P-80 pilots to the 22nd Fighter Squadron, 36th Fighter Group, Furstenfeldbruck, Germany, and while there, he and his brother assisted in organizing and flying with the USAF Europe Aerial Demonstration Team, the “Skyblazers”, flying the P-80 and F-84. In August, 1952, he was assigned to the Air Training Command’s 3600th Combat Crew Training Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. In 1953, he and his brother Cuthbert helped organize the original United States Air Force Aerial Demonstration Team, the “Thunderbirds” (Thunderbirds are featured in "Teamwork at its Finest"). He flew left wing while his brother flew right wing. |
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| Further Education and War |
| From July, 1956 to August, 1959, he first served as a tactical fighter squadron commander with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, and then with the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, at England Air Force Base, Louisiana. In September, 1959, he entered the University of Colorado, and after earning a degree in mathematics, he joined the 4450th Standardization and Evaluation Group in Langley, Virginia. After completing his assignment to the Army War College in 1965, he was promoted to Colonel and assigned to the Headquarters Seventeenth Air Force, Ramstein, Germany. Upon this assignment, he and his twin brother were separated for the first time in over 23 years of military service. In March, 1967, he was assigned as Commander to the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bitburg, Germany, flying the F-4 Phantom II. In March, 1968, as Vice Commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, he went to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, and became the Commanding Officer of the wing in July, 1968. He flew 120 combat missions over Vietnam in the F-4. In 1969, he was promoted to Brigadier General and was Vice Commander of the Oklahoma City Material Area at Tinker Air Force Base. In November, 1971, he became deputy director for logistics, J-4, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. In September, 1973, he became Commander of the Lowry Technical Training Center at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, and then Vice Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Forces. On March 1, 1979, he was promoted to Lt. General, and was the Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Readiness Command at MacDill Air Force Base. He retired from active duty in 1981. |
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| Medals and Awards |
| Lt. General Pattillo was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star (BSS), Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation emblem with oak leaf cluster, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order 2nd Class, French Croix de Guerre with palm, and Air Force pilot wings – Nicaragua – Brazil – China – Peru. |
| 'Buck' Pattillo is one of our Rogue's Gallery members. |
| (Thanks are due Sam Sox for photos and 'Buck' for stories) |
| Thunderbird 50th Anniversary Commemorative Covers |
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