Charles William Hughes Captain, USAF (Ret)

93, died on February 28, 2012. He was born on April 16, 1918 to the late William and Anna Hughes. He was pre-deceased by his brothers; 1/Lt Frederick J. Hughes, USAAF, Bro. Robert J. Hughes, C.S. C.; and by his sister Mary Rita Hughes. A great-grandson Thomas E. Gray also predeceased him.

Charlie was baptized and confirmed at Sacred Heart Church in Watertown, NY, where he attended elementary school. He graduated from Immaculate Heart Academy in 1934. Due to the Depression and his tender years, he was unable to go on to college or obtain regular employment. He purchased used textbooks from college students he knew and embarked on a period of self-education in the field of mechanical engineering. Eventually, he earned a position at the New York Air Brake Co. as a mechanical draftsman. In the fall of 1939, he was finally able to enter Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. There, the twenty-one year old freshman met Frances Jane Mayo, a senior at Potsdam State Teacher’s College.

In December of 1941, he left Clarkson and volunteered for military service. He received a commission in December, 1942 upon completion of advanced pilot training at Moore Field, TX. Afterwards, he was assigned to Dale Mabry Field, FL for training in the P-40 aircraft. He joined the 33rd Fighter Group, 60th Fighter Squadron, in Marrakech, Morocco in May, 1943 and fought through the North African and Sicilian Campaigns. His Group was transferred to central China in February of 1944 after flying support for the Anzio landings and subsequent action against Monte Casino. By June 1944, he had advanced to the position of Operations Officer for his Fighter Squadron. On July 3, 1944, exigencies of his eighty-first combat mission required that he attempt a landing at an unlit Chengdu airfield at night. He was severely injured in the attempt and his P-47D aircraft was destroyed. He was evacuated to a field hospital in India. He was further evacuated to a general hospital in Florida. Doctors there believed that further improvement was possible and he was assigned as commander of a technical training Squadron at Bradley Field, Connecticut to recover prior to a return to flying status. Before reporting for this assignment, he married Frances at St. Mary’s Church in Potsdam on October 7, 1944. She has since been known as Jane Mayo Hughes.

The permanence of his injuries became evident by April of 1945 and he was retired due to physical disability. Among his military decorations are four awards of the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was transferred in retired status to the Department of the Air Force by an act of Congress in 1947.

Upon his retirement, he returned to his pre-collegiate employment with the Air Brake Company but in the fall of 1946, re-entered Clarkson. He was awarded a B.S.M.E. from Clarkson in June of 1948 and returned to the Air Brake Company in Watertown, where he entered the company’s junior executive development program. While in Watertown, he was a member of St. Patrick’s parish. He taught night classes at Watertown High School for adults, was a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent De Paul Society, The Holy Name Society, and was a Boy Scout Master at the parish school. In 1958, he accepted a position with Pesco Products Co. of Bedford Heights, Ohio. While at Pesco, he helped with the design and manufacture of hydraulic pumps used in civil and military aircraft and in naval and space vehicles. In Ohio, he was an active member of the church of the Gesu in University Heights, Ohio. When the assets of Pesco were purchased by Sundstand Aviation of Rockford in 1972, he relocated to Rockford and became a member of Holy Family parish there. He continued working on projects with civil, military and space applications until his retirement in 1984.

In retirement, he enjoyed working with gifted children in the Ocala, Florida school system. He and Jane maintained a winter home there for over twenty years. He also pursued his interest in golf and was pleased to make a hole-in-one in Florida and also at Ingersoll Golf course in Rockford.

Charlie was a forty year member of Rockford’s WWII Combat Flyer’s Group and wishes his surviving comrades clear skies and tail-winds.

He leaves his wife of 67 years, his nine children, their spouses, his twenty-two grandchildren, their spouses and his fourteen great-grandchildren.

He was a gifted artist, an accomplished fighter pilot and combat leader, and a talented and dedicated engineer. He truly excelled, however, in his role as husband and father. Kind, gentle, loving and wise, he was what every father should aspire to be.

A Memorial Mass will be held in Phoenix, AZ with a Mass of Christian Resurrection to be held in Rockford, Illinois at a later date. Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

The family is consoled by his many years of faithful attendance to the one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith.