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306TH FIGHTER WING
THE STAFF
Colonel Vidal was graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, in 1933. After training as a pilot at Randolph Field, Texas, he joined the 20th Pursuit Group in November, 1943, later joining the 3rd Attack Group. From 1937 to 1938, Colonel Vidal was in Panama with the 74th Attack Squadron, 16th Pursuit Group, after which he was assigned to the Air Defense Command and 1st Air Force at Mitchel Field. In December 1940, he became the A-3 Officer of the I Fighter Command, charged with activating and training fighter groups, fighter control squadrons, as well as conducting air defense. Colonel Vidal was appointed Commanding Officer of the 72nd Fighter Wing, 2nd Air Force, in Sept. 1943. He held this position until July 1944, when he came overseas, assigned to the XVth Air Force. Colonel Vidal was appointed Executive Officer of the 306th Fighter Wing on 6 September 1944.
Lt. Col. Barlow was commissioned in the Officers Reserve Corps in 1931. He was Commissioner Officer of various Civilian Conservation Corps camps in Florida and Louisiana from 1933 until 1941, when he was called to active duty as Executive Officer, Officers’ Branch, Military Personnel Division, Headquarters, Army Air Forces, Washington, D. C., in March 1941. In May of 1944, Lt. Col. Barlow reported overseas as Executive of the A-1 Division, Headquarters XVth Air Force, in which capacity he served until 10 September, when he assumed the duties of A-1 and Assistant for the 306th Fighter Wing.
Lt. Col. Baker was commissioned in the Officers Reserve Corps in 1934. He received his commission in the Regular Army in 1937. He was with the 7th and 11th Field Artillery Regiments until June 1941, when he became a student observer with the 66th Observation Squadron, 7th Air Force. Between June 1941 and October 1942 he held various positions, in addition to observer, as the Squadron S-2 Officer, Adjutant, Assistant S-3 Officer for Training. In October, he joined the 75th Observation Group, 3rd Air Force, leaving there to go overseas in April 1943. In Morocco and Algeria, Lt. Col. Baker was Base S-2 and Intelligence Training Officer with the Bombardment Training Command, XIIth Air Force, later being appointed Director of Ground Training and Director of Gunnery Training of the same organization, until it was disbanded in September 1944. At this time he was assigned to the 306th Fighter Wing as Assistant A-2 Officer, and when the Wing was reorganized, Lt. Col. Baker was appointed A-2 Officer, 8 September, 1944.
Captain Crookham was commissioned as a pilot in November 1942, at Foster Field, Texas. After serving with an Operational Training Unit in Florida, he left for overseas duty, arriving in North Africa 5 March, 1943. Capt. Crookham was assigned to the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Le Ser, later moving to Korba and Gran. The Squadron moved to Italy in January 1944, and when it was disbanded in February, Capt. Crookham was assigned to the 318th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Group. In this organization, he was Squadron Operations Officer, and completed 51 combat missions. He was awarded the Air Medal and 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Capt. Crookham joined the 306th Fighter Wing in August 1944, and on 10 September became the A-3 Officer.
Major Hagins was commissioned in the Air Corps Reserve in 1940 at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone. In May 1942, he was called to active duty and assigned as Materiel Officer of the 51st Fighter Group at New Orleans Army Air Base. The Group went to Scotland in June 1942 for training, and later flew 60 missions in Spitfires from Atcham Field, England, for 6 months. Major Hagins was Engineering Officer of the Group during this time. He remained with this organization through the African campaign and in Italy, until assigned to the 306th Fighter Wing in July, first as Assistant A-4 Officer, and later upon the reorganization of the Wing, A-4 Officer. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit.
Captain Kilian received his Officers Reserve Corps commission in the Infantry May 1939, at the Kansas State College. After a tour of active duty in June and July 1939, he was with the Civilian Conservation Corps in a civilian status from October 1940 to August 1941, in Missouri and Oregon. Captain Kilian entered extended active duty in August 1941, at Stockton Field, California, and in October was transferred to the Air Corps, going to Williams Field as Post Exchange Officer, where he remained until January 1943, when he was appointed Squadron Adjutant at Deming Field, New Mexico. In May 1943, he was Adjutant of Redmond Army Air Base. Captain Kilian came overseas 22 January 1944, and was assigned to the 306th Fighter Wing in February as Administrative Inspector, becoming Headquarters Squadron Adjutant in April. He was appointed Wing Headquarters Squadron Commanding Officer 8 September, 1944.
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