Charles F. Lotsch.
Navigator · 409th Squadron · Of New York, NY, NY.
The man.
Assigned to 93rd Bomb Group, 409th Sqdn. at Hardwick, England on July 30, 1944. Completed 30 combat missions as navigator, including two air division leads, two wing leads, and eight group leads.
Service record.
Before and after.
Born Jan. 25, 1923 in New York City. Enlisted Dec. 8, 1942 while attending Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn studying mechanical engineering. Completed aviation cadet training; commissioned second lieutenant on April 7, 1944 at San Marcos AAF Navigation School. Assigned navigator on a B-24 crew; trained at Casper, WY. Flew new B-24J from Topeka to Stone, Wales.
Discharged June 1945 as first lieutenant. Received Air Medal with four clusters. Returned to college; graduated June 1947 with bachelor of mechanical engineering degree from Polytechnic Institute. 43-year career in engineering and management; retired from Certainteed Corporation as director of engineering, October 1990. Married Doris Shuster Aug. 5, 1950; three children, two grandchildren.