Charles Hutchinson Young, of Southlake, passed away at a Fort Worth Medical Center.
Charles grew up on a farm as the oldest of six children. His father served as Sumner County Treasurer for many years. His mother, who grew up in a sod house in Oklahoma Territory, was a frontier school teacher.
After graduating from Phillips University in Enid, Okla., he bought an OX-5 powered biplane with two friends for $350 and began barnstorming towns and airshows in the High Plains. He was accepted into the Flying Cadet program at Randolph Field in October 1936. As the first in his class of 114 to solo, he still holds the USAF record for the shortest time to solo: 55 minutes.
Charles served his active duty in the 90th Attack Squadron at Barksdale Field. In 1939, he went on reserve duty, and joined American Airlines, and in 1940 married Virginia Farrell.
In May 1942, Charles was recalled to active duty due to the beginning of World War II. It was here that he helped organize and train four different groups before becoming commander of the 439th Troop Carrier Group. Colonel Young led the 439th for its entire tour of duty in the theaters of war. Charles was one of the few in the Air Force to attain a command position in the ETO before age 30. By then a colonel, he led the 50th Wing into Normandy just after midnight on June 6, 1944. He also led his forces into Southern France, Holland and across the Rhine River into Germany.
Colonel Young received the DFC with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, and the Croix de Guerre with palm. The Distinguished Unit Citation was presented to the 439th Group for Normandy operations. A C-47 restored as Charles' ship, The Argonia, is now on permanent display in the Airborne Museum in Ste-Mere-Eglise, the first town in France liberated by American forces.
After the war, Charles returned to American Airlines. He was assistant superintendent of flight in the Fort Worth-Dallas area from 1951-1957 before deciding to return to full-time flying. He participated in several key aviation studies, including the coordinated effort between the USAF, the FAA and the airlines to develop advanced capabilities for blind landing procedures for future airline use and for NASA's space shuttle project. He ended his career in 1974 flying the Boeing 747. He had 27,500 hours in the air.
Locally, Charles served for many years as a Ruling Elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Grapevine and was a former president of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce. After his retirement from American, Charles edited the award-winning "Grapevine Area History," first published in 1979. In 1982, he edited the book "Eagles Must Fly" by aviation pioneer Jack Jaynes. In 1995, he published "Into The Valley, The Untold Story of USAAF Troop Carrier, From North Africa Through Europe." The book was edited by his son. "Into The Valley" was distributed primarily in military circles, where it was highly acclaimed and was described as "must reading" by both the Air Force Historical Foundation's Air Power and by former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Gen. John R. Galvin.
Colonel Young is survived by his wife, a son and his wife, 2 grandsons, 2 sisters, a brother, his first cousin, and many more cousins, nieces and nephews.
Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Section: METRO, Page: 11, 1 May, 2001
Charles grew up on a farm as the oldest of six children. His father served as Sumner County Treasurer for many years. His mother, who grew up in a sod house in Oklahoma Territory, was a frontier school teacher.
After graduating from Phillips University in Enid, Okla., he bought an OX-5 powered biplane with two friends for $350 and began barnstorming towns and airshows in the High Plains. He was accepted into the Flying Cadet program at Randolph Field in October 1936. As the first in his class of 114 to solo, he still holds the USAF record for the shortest time to solo: 55 minutes.
Charles served his active duty in the 90th Attack Squadron at Barksdale Field. In 1939, he went on reserve duty, and joined American Airlines, and in 1940 married Virginia Farrell.
In May 1942, Charles was recalled to active duty due to the beginning of World War II. It was here that he helped organize and train four different groups before becoming commander of the 439th Troop Carrier Group. Colonel Young led the 439th for its entire tour of duty in the theaters of war. Charles was one of the few in the Air Force to attain a command position in the ETO before age 30. By then a colonel, he led the 50th Wing into Normandy just after midnight on June 6, 1944. He also led his forces into Southern France, Holland and across the Rhine River into Germany.
Colonel Young received the DFC with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, and the Croix de Guerre with palm. The Distinguished Unit Citation was presented to the 439th Group for Normandy operations. A C-47 restored as Charles' ship, The Argonia, is now on permanent display in the Airborne Museum in Ste-Mere-Eglise, the first town in France liberated by American forces.
After the war, Charles returned to American Airlines. He was assistant superintendent of flight in the Fort Worth-Dallas area from 1951-1957 before deciding to return to full-time flying. He participated in several key aviation studies, including the coordinated effort between the USAF, the FAA and the airlines to develop advanced capabilities for blind landing procedures for future airline use and for NASA's space shuttle project. He ended his career in 1974 flying the Boeing 747. He had 27,500 hours in the air.
Locally, Charles served for many years as a Ruling Elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Grapevine and was a former president of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce. After his retirement from American, Charles edited the award-winning "Grapevine Area History," first published in 1979. In 1982, he edited the book "Eagles Must Fly" by aviation pioneer Jack Jaynes. In 1995, he published "Into The Valley, The Untold Story of USAAF Troop Carrier, From North Africa Through Europe." The book was edited by his son. "Into The Valley" was distributed primarily in military circles, where it was highly acclaimed and was described as "must reading" by both the Air Force Historical Foundation's Air Power and by former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Gen. John R. Galvin.
Colonel Young is survived by his wife, a son and his wife, 2 grandsons, 2 sisters, a brother, his first cousin, and many more cousins, nieces and nephews.
Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Section: METRO, Page: 11, 1 May, 2001
Charles Hutchinson Young, of Southlake, passed away at a Fort Worth Medical Center.
Charles grew up on a farm as the oldest of six children. His father served as Sumner County Treasurer for many years. His mother, who grew up in a sod house in Oklahoma Territory, was a frontier school teacher.
After graduating from Phillips University in Enid, Okla., he bought an OX-5 powered biplane with two friends for $350 and began barnstorming towns and airshows in the High Plains. He was accepted into the Flying Cadet program at Randolph Field in October 1936. As the first in his class of 114 to solo, he still holds the USAF record for the shortest time to solo: 55 minutes.
Charles served his active duty in the 90th Attack Squadron at Barksdale Field. In 1939, he went on reserve duty, and joined American Airlines, and in 1940 married Virginia Farrell.
In May 1942, Charles was recalled to active duty due to the beginning of World War II. It was here that he helped organize and train four different groups before becoming commander of the 439th Troop Carrier Group. Colonel Young led the 439th for its entire tour of duty in the theaters of war. Charles was one of the few in the Air Force to attain a command position in the ETO before age 30. By then a colonel, he led the 50th Wing into Normandy just after midnight on June 6, 1944. He also led his forces into Southern France, Holland and across the Rhine River into Germany.
Colonel Young received the DFC with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, and the Croix de Guerre with palm. The Distinguished Unit Citation was presented to the 439th Group for Normandy operations. A C-47 restored as Charles' ship, The Argonia, is now on permanent display in the Airborne Museum in Ste-Mere-Eglise, the first town in France liberated by American forces.
After the war, Charles returned to American Airlines. He was assistant superintendent of flight in the Fort Worth-Dallas area from 1951-1957 before deciding to return to full-time flying. He participated in several key aviation studies, including the coordinated effort between the USAF, the FAA and the airlines to develop advanced capabilities for blind landing procedures for future airline use and for NASA's space shuttle project. He ended his career in 1974 flying the Boeing 747. He had 27,500 hours in the air.
Locally, Charles served for many years as a Ruling Elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Grapevine and was a former president of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce. After his retirement from American, Charles edited the award-winning "Grapevine Area History," first published in 1979. In 1982, he edited the book "Eagles Must Fly" by aviation pioneer Jack Jaynes. In 1995, he published "Into The Valley, The Untold Story of USAAF Troop Carrier, From North Africa Through Europe." The book was edited by his son. "Into The Valley" was distributed primarily in military circles, where it was highly acclaimed and was described as "must reading" by both the Air Force Historical Foundation's Air Power and by former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Gen. John R. Galvin.
Colonel Young is survived by his wife, a son and his wife, 2 grandsons, 2 sisters, a brother, his first cousin, and many more cousins, nieces and nephews.
Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Section: METRO, Page: 11, 1 May, 2001
Charles grew up on a farm as the oldest of six children. His father served as Sumner County Treasurer for many years. His mother, who grew up in a sod house in Oklahoma Territory, was a frontier school teacher.
After graduating from Phillips University in Enid, Okla., he bought an OX-5 powered biplane with two friends for $350 and began barnstorming towns and airshows in the High Plains. He was accepted into the Flying Cadet program at Randolph Field in October 1936. As the first in his class of 114 to solo, he still holds the USAF record for the shortest time to solo: 55 minutes.
Charles served his active duty in the 90th Attack Squadron at Barksdale Field. In 1939, he went on reserve duty, and joined American Airlines, and in 1940 married Virginia Farrell.
In May 1942, Charles was recalled to active duty due to the beginning of World War II. It was here that he helped organize and train four different groups before becoming commander of the 439th Troop Carrier Group. Colonel Young led the 439th for its entire tour of duty in the theaters of war. Charles was one of the few in the Air Force to attain a command position in the ETO before age 30. By then a colonel, he led the 50th Wing into Normandy just after midnight on June 6, 1944. He also led his forces into Southern France, Holland and across the Rhine River into Germany.
Colonel Young received the DFC with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, and the Croix de Guerre with palm. The Distinguished Unit Citation was presented to the 439th Group for Normandy operations. A C-47 restored as Charles' ship, The Argonia, is now on permanent display in the Airborne Museum in Ste-Mere-Eglise, the first town in France liberated by American forces.
After the war, Charles returned to American Airlines. He was assistant superintendent of flight in the Fort Worth-Dallas area from 1951-1957 before deciding to return to full-time flying. He participated in several key aviation studies, including the coordinated effort between the USAF, the FAA and the airlines to develop advanced capabilities for blind landing procedures for future airline use and for NASA's space shuttle project. He ended his career in 1974 flying the Boeing 747. He had 27,500 hours in the air.
Locally, Charles served for many years as a Ruling Elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Grapevine and was a former president of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce. After his retirement from American, Charles edited the award-winning "Grapevine Area History," first published in 1979. In 1982, he edited the book "Eagles Must Fly" by aviation pioneer Jack Jaynes. In 1995, he published "Into The Valley, The Untold Story of USAAF Troop Carrier, From North Africa Through Europe." The book was edited by his son. "Into The Valley" was distributed primarily in military circles, where it was highly acclaimed and was described as "must reading" by both the Air Force Historical Foundation's Air Power and by former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Gen. John R. Galvin.
Colonel Young is survived by his wife, a son and his wife, 2 grandsons, 2 sisters, a brother, his first cousin, and many more cousins, nieces and nephews.
Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Section: METRO, Page: 11, 1 May, 2001
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