Charles Jackson Kelly Ltc. (USAF-retired) was the middle child born to Rufus O. Kelly and his wife Bessie Goodwin Kelly; full siblings were Lula Mae and James Raymond. He also had three other half siblings by his mother's first marriage to Bruce Kelly; they were Joe Herbert, Bessie Faye and Janoda. "Kelly" (as he was called) grew up on a little farm in rural Bossier Parish, played football in high school, went to NSU on a football scholarship. He piloted B-17s during WWII, flying 25 missions over Nazi targets in Europe.
ACTIVITY DURING WWII
Capt. Operations Officer with the 327th Bomb Group, 40th Wing, 1st Div. 8th AF, Piloted 25 missions over Europe, based at Podington. Most missions flown were completed without P-51 fighter escort.
MISSIONS:
FEBRUARY 16, 1943 AT ST. NAZAIRE, FRANCE
MARCH 4, 1943 AT ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND
MARCH 13, 1943 AT AMIENS, FRANCE
MARCH 18, 1943 AT VEGESACK, GERMANY
MARCH 28, 1943 AT ROUEN, FRANCE
APRIL 4, 1943 AT PARIS FRANCE
APRIL 5, 1943 AT ANTWERP, BELGIUM
JUNE 25, 1943 AT OLDENBURG, GERMANY
JULY 4, 1943 AT NANTES, FRANCE
JULY 14, 1943 AT VILLACOUBLAY, FRANCE
JULY 17, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 26, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 29, 1943 AT KIEL, GERMANY
AUGUST 12, 1943 AT GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY
AUGUST 31, 1943 AT GLISSY, FRANCE
SEPTEMBER 7, 1943 AT BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
OCTOBER 20, 1943 AT DUREN, GERMANY
DECEMBER 5, 1943 AT LAROCHELLE, FRANCE
DECEMBER 31, 1943 AT COGNAC AIRDROME, BORDEAUX
JANUARY 11, 1944 AT OSCHERSLEBEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 20, 1944 AT LEIPZIG, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 21, 1944 AT HOPSTEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 28, 1944 AT HERBDUVILLE, FRANCE
MARCH 6, 1944 AT BERLIN, GERMANY
MARCH 16, 1944 AT AUGSBURG, GERMANY
MEDALS: Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 3 Oak Clusters
He returned to the states to marry Carolyn Bonney Mason who he met on a blind date. Kelly and Carolyn were parents to son Charles J. Kelly, Jr. and daughters, Jo, Alice and Caroline. After an additional 20 years in the USAF, he pursued other pastimes in insurance, real estate and home construction. Kelly enjoyed a devious game of bridge, golf, fishing, hunting and sunday drives. He was a talented in lapidary and silver smithing and also leather tooling. He loved and took pride in his children, grands and great grands. He succumbed to a myocardial infarct following a hip fracture.
ACTIVITY DURING WWII
Capt. Operations Officer with the 327th Bomb Group, 40th Wing, 1st Div. 8th AF, Piloted 25 missions over Europe, based at Podington. Most missions flown were completed without P-51 fighter escort.
MISSIONS:
FEBRUARY 16, 1943 AT ST. NAZAIRE, FRANCE
MARCH 4, 1943 AT ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND
MARCH 13, 1943 AT AMIENS, FRANCE
MARCH 18, 1943 AT VEGESACK, GERMANY
MARCH 28, 1943 AT ROUEN, FRANCE
APRIL 4, 1943 AT PARIS FRANCE
APRIL 5, 1943 AT ANTWERP, BELGIUM
JUNE 25, 1943 AT OLDENBURG, GERMANY
JULY 4, 1943 AT NANTES, FRANCE
JULY 14, 1943 AT VILLACOUBLAY, FRANCE
JULY 17, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 26, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 29, 1943 AT KIEL, GERMANY
AUGUST 12, 1943 AT GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY
AUGUST 31, 1943 AT GLISSY, FRANCE
SEPTEMBER 7, 1943 AT BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
OCTOBER 20, 1943 AT DUREN, GERMANY
DECEMBER 5, 1943 AT LAROCHELLE, FRANCE
DECEMBER 31, 1943 AT COGNAC AIRDROME, BORDEAUX
JANUARY 11, 1944 AT OSCHERSLEBEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 20, 1944 AT LEIPZIG, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 21, 1944 AT HOPSTEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 28, 1944 AT HERBDUVILLE, FRANCE
MARCH 6, 1944 AT BERLIN, GERMANY
MARCH 16, 1944 AT AUGSBURG, GERMANY
MEDALS: Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 3 Oak Clusters
He returned to the states to marry Carolyn Bonney Mason who he met on a blind date. Kelly and Carolyn were parents to son Charles J. Kelly, Jr. and daughters, Jo, Alice and Caroline. After an additional 20 years in the USAF, he pursued other pastimes in insurance, real estate and home construction. Kelly enjoyed a devious game of bridge, golf, fishing, hunting and sunday drives. He was a talented in lapidary and silver smithing and also leather tooling. He loved and took pride in his children, grands and great grands. He succumbed to a myocardial infarct following a hip fracture.
Charles Jackson Kelly Ltc. (USAF-retired) was the middle child born to Rufus O. Kelly and his wife Bessie Goodwin Kelly; full siblings were Lula Mae and James Raymond. He also had three other half siblings by his mother's first marriage to Bruce Kelly; they were Joe Herbert, Bessie Faye and Janoda. "Kelly" (as he was called) grew up on a little farm in rural Bossier Parish, played football in high school, went to NSU on a football scholarship. He piloted B-17s during WWII, flying 25 missions over Nazi targets in Europe.
ACTIVITY DURING WWII
Capt. Operations Officer with the 327th Bomb Group, 40th Wing, 1st Div. 8th AF, Piloted 25 missions over Europe, based at Podington. Most missions flown were completed without P-51 fighter escort.
MISSIONS:
FEBRUARY 16, 1943 AT ST. NAZAIRE, FRANCE
MARCH 4, 1943 AT ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND
MARCH 13, 1943 AT AMIENS, FRANCE
MARCH 18, 1943 AT VEGESACK, GERMANY
MARCH 28, 1943 AT ROUEN, FRANCE
APRIL 4, 1943 AT PARIS FRANCE
APRIL 5, 1943 AT ANTWERP, BELGIUM
JUNE 25, 1943 AT OLDENBURG, GERMANY
JULY 4, 1943 AT NANTES, FRANCE
JULY 14, 1943 AT VILLACOUBLAY, FRANCE
JULY 17, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 26, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 29, 1943 AT KIEL, GERMANY
AUGUST 12, 1943 AT GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY
AUGUST 31, 1943 AT GLISSY, FRANCE
SEPTEMBER 7, 1943 AT BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
OCTOBER 20, 1943 AT DUREN, GERMANY
DECEMBER 5, 1943 AT LAROCHELLE, FRANCE
DECEMBER 31, 1943 AT COGNAC AIRDROME, BORDEAUX
JANUARY 11, 1944 AT OSCHERSLEBEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 20, 1944 AT LEIPZIG, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 21, 1944 AT HOPSTEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 28, 1944 AT HERBDUVILLE, FRANCE
MARCH 6, 1944 AT BERLIN, GERMANY
MARCH 16, 1944 AT AUGSBURG, GERMANY
MEDALS: Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 3 Oak Clusters
He returned to the states to marry Carolyn Bonney Mason who he met on a blind date. Kelly and Carolyn were parents to son Charles J. Kelly, Jr. and daughters, Jo, Alice and Caroline. After an additional 20 years in the USAF, he pursued other pastimes in insurance, real estate and home construction. Kelly enjoyed a devious game of bridge, golf, fishing, hunting and sunday drives. He was a talented in lapidary and silver smithing and also leather tooling. He loved and took pride in his children, grands and great grands. He succumbed to a myocardial infarct following a hip fracture.
ACTIVITY DURING WWII
Capt. Operations Officer with the 327th Bomb Group, 40th Wing, 1st Div. 8th AF, Piloted 25 missions over Europe, based at Podington. Most missions flown were completed without P-51 fighter escort.
MISSIONS:
FEBRUARY 16, 1943 AT ST. NAZAIRE, FRANCE
MARCH 4, 1943 AT ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND
MARCH 13, 1943 AT AMIENS, FRANCE
MARCH 18, 1943 AT VEGESACK, GERMANY
MARCH 28, 1943 AT ROUEN, FRANCE
APRIL 4, 1943 AT PARIS FRANCE
APRIL 5, 1943 AT ANTWERP, BELGIUM
JUNE 25, 1943 AT OLDENBURG, GERMANY
JULY 4, 1943 AT NANTES, FRANCE
JULY 14, 1943 AT VILLACOUBLAY, FRANCE
JULY 17, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 26, 1943 AT HANOVER, GERMANY
JULY 29, 1943 AT KIEL, GERMANY
AUGUST 12, 1943 AT GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY
AUGUST 31, 1943 AT GLISSY, FRANCE
SEPTEMBER 7, 1943 AT BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
OCTOBER 20, 1943 AT DUREN, GERMANY
DECEMBER 5, 1943 AT LAROCHELLE, FRANCE
DECEMBER 31, 1943 AT COGNAC AIRDROME, BORDEAUX
JANUARY 11, 1944 AT OSCHERSLEBEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 20, 1944 AT LEIPZIG, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 21, 1944 AT HOPSTEN, GERMANY
FEBRUARY 28, 1944 AT HERBDUVILLE, FRANCE
MARCH 6, 1944 AT BERLIN, GERMANY
MARCH 16, 1944 AT AUGSBURG, GERMANY
MEDALS: Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 3 Oak Clusters
He returned to the states to marry Carolyn Bonney Mason who he met on a blind date. Kelly and Carolyn were parents to son Charles J. Kelly, Jr. and daughters, Jo, Alice and Caroline. After an additional 20 years in the USAF, he pursued other pastimes in insurance, real estate and home construction. Kelly enjoyed a devious game of bridge, golf, fishing, hunting and sunday drives. He was a talented in lapidary and silver smithing and also leather tooling. He loved and took pride in his children, grands and great grands. He succumbed to a myocardial infarct following a hip fracture.
