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| Information > Biographies > MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES B. DOUGHER |
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MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES B. DOUGHER
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Died Dec. 19, 1978.
Charles Bowman Dougher was born in Wilkes Barre, Penn., in 1907. He attended public schools in Wilkes Barre and Wyoming Seminary at Kingston, Penn., where he graduated in 1925.
After a year of employment in the offices of the Black Diamond Anthracite Mine at Wilkes Barre he received a Congressional appointment to the U.S. Military Academy. He graduated and was commissioned in 1931.
At the academy he was "Bo" (from his middle name) to his classmates. He won a place on the track and cross-country teams and earned his varsity letter as a quarter mile runner.
Second Lieutenant Dougher entered flying training in October 1931, as a student officer in the first class to train at Randolph Field, Texas. He earned his pilot's wings in October 1932, and subsequently flew nearly all types of bomber aircraft - from the Air Corps' B-3 to the all-jet B-47 of today. Today he is rated a command pilot.
Lieutenant Dougher' first assignment was with the 18th Pursuit Group in Hawaii, flying P-12s.
He was promoted to first lieutenant in May of 1935, at Mitchel Field, Long Island, where he began training in multi-engine bombers. He was subsequently assigned to attend the Air Corps' Aircraft Maintenance Engineering School at Chanute Field, Ill., and then to March Field, Calif., to begin training with the 19th Bombardment Group in the Air Corps' B-17 Flying Fortresses.
Shortly after World War II started he was advanced to lieutenant colonel and assigned to fly anti-submarine patrol missions and train in the 41st Bombardment Group in B-25 aircraft at Hammer Field, Fresno, Calif.
In 1944, Colonel Dougher became commander of the 94th Bombardment Group in England where he flew 24 B-17 combat missions over Europe. When he returned to the United States he became the Army Air Force member of the Joint Strategic Plans Group, Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington.
From August 1947 until July 1948, Colonel Dougher attended the Air War College of the Air University and then was returned to Washington as assistant chief of the Plans Division. Two years later he was again assigned to the Joint Strategic Plans Group as assistant director. He left Washington in July 1951, to become deputy commander of the Strategic Air Command's 2nd Bomb wing at Hunter Air Force Base, Ga. He moved to Forbes Air Force Base, Kan., in January 1952 to take command of the 308th Bomb Wing, and then to Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, where he was promoted to brigadier general in August of 1953, while serving as commander of the 801st Air Division.
In June of 1954, General Dougher was moved to French Morocco to command the Strategic Air Command's Fifth Air Division with headquarters at Rabat and later at Sidi Slimane. On completion of the overseas tour in August 1955, he assumed command of the 38th Air Division at Hunter Air Force Base, Ga.
At Hunter, General Dougher was awarded the Legion of Merit and the 38th Air Division received an Outstanding Unit Award for pioneering the development and field tests of Strategic Air Command alert concepts. The division also won the SAC Flying Safety award for 1957.
General Dougher was promoted to major general in March 1958 and assigned as deputy commander, Eighth Air Force, with headquarters at Westover Air Force Base, Mass., in July 1958. In December 1958 was assigned at chief, Air Technical Intelligence Center, 1125th USAF Field Activities Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
INTERESTS
Enjoys golf, but plays only infrequently, shooting in the 90s; formerly played tennis regularly; enjoys salt-water fishing and participates whenever opportunity presents.
Member of the Oglethorpe Club of Savannah; member of Rotary; served on the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Red Cross in Savannah, Ga.
DECORATIONS AND MEDALS
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star
Army Commendation Ribbon
French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Legion of Merit
OPINIONS, TASTES AND EVALUATIONS
Prefers American style cooking and has no particular liking for exotic foods. Smokes cigarettes.
Reads extensively, prefers biographies of individuals prominent in American history.
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