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[[marginalia]] PHOTOCOPIED September 27, 2002; NASM PRESERVATION COPY [[/marginalia]]

[[News clipping]]

477th Composite Group Commended
In Air Indoctrination Course

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MYRTLE BEACH ARMY AIR FIELD, South Carolina — Major Edward C. Gleed, Deputy Group Commander of the 477th Composite Group, Myrtle Beach AAF, last week received telegraphic commendation from Major General Paul L. Williams,commanding general of 9th Air Force. for the excellent manner in recent Air Indoctrination Course demonstrations flown over Fort Benning, Georgia.

General Williams said, "the units are to congratulated for excellent timing, accuracy and method of attack. This type of precision flying will enhance the position of the Air Force in the presentation of the Air Indoctrination course."

Flying P-47 and B.25 aircraft, the 477th is composed of two squadrons, the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 617th Bomb Squadron. The fighter-bomber team, based at Myrtle Beach for almost three months, has been one of the air units cooperating with ground force elements in the presentation of demonstrations scaled to train observers in the most effective practical employment or air and ground units.

Developing lessons learned during World War II, tactical employment of the 477th included low level strafing and bombing attacks during which the airmen saturated target with machine gun and rocket fire, skip bombed ground targets, laid smoke [[end of first column [[start of second column]] screens and dropped napalm "fire" bombs containing jellied gasoline. Participating in the exercises were P-51 fighters, P.80 "Shooting Stars," A-26 attack bombers, C-82 "Flying Boxcars' transporting airborne infantrymen and gliders which were picked up by C-47 transports while in flight.

Only Negro air unit in the AAF, the 477th's home station is at Lockbourne Air Base near Columbus, Ohio. Commanding the unit and Lockbourne Air Base is Colonel B. O. Davis, Jr., West Pointer, who formerly headed the 99th Fighter Group during their combat tours.

The 477th, attached to the 9th Air Force, is a member of the Tactical Air Command, one of three major divisions of air created a year ago in a program designed to "streamline" the Air Forces. ^[[1946]]