Maine Veteran Spotlight 7/12/26

Welcome to the main veteran spotlight, a collaborative effort with the main association of broadcasters, Reitz across America, Portland Media Group, the University of Maine System, Bennett Radio Group, Blueberry Broadcasting, and Rangely Community Radio, I'm Jeff Pierce, Director of Media and Military Partnerships for Reitz across America. And it is my honor today to be talking to Seth Brown, Seth is a United States Army veteran, we're going to unpack his service. And so much more, Seth. Thank you for taking the time to be on with us today on the main veteran spotlight. Absolutely, I'm stoked, I'm excited. And we're excited to have you and we always ask our guests the same question, maybe I should change it up, I don't know, but why did young Seth decide that he wanted to join the United States Army? You know, young Seth was a, he's a little lost guy, he grew up in a small town of 900 people, I went to a small high school too, so I tried out college because that's what everybody else was doing, it seemed normal. I lasted a semester towards halfway through the semester. I kind of realized that everybody around me wasn't like me and that this was not the path that I needed to be on. And like the same day that that thought process was going on or Cruder actually called me, so it was kind of weird timing and said, you know, hey, we talked when you were seeing you, what do you think? Do you like school? And of course, my answer was no, I don't like school. You know, kind of looking to join actually, since I don't know what to do and it seems like a good option. And things just kind of took off from there. We're talking to Seth Brown, the United States Army veteran. So Seth, what did you enlist in the United States Army to do? And this may be a different answer, what did you end up doing? I listed to be a scout, a Calvary scout, and I looked at being a Calvary scout when I was like 14 years old. And it's what I ended up doing. I got it in my contract. I didn't get like bait and switch or anything like that. I got it all the way through. Well, we find that sometimes these positions evolve. You enlist to do one thing and then you end up, you know, finishing up doing something else. So that's, I wasn't insinuating any bait and switch. So Seth, how long in the army? Seven and a half years. And deployments? I did two deployments. One was non-combat to South Korean one was combat to Afghanistan. And you decide after seven and a half years, it's time to leave the army. And what did you end up doing after that? Yeah, towards the end, they were actually phasing out my MOS. They were getting rivets. So I saw the writing on the wall and knew that either had to get out now or maybe be forced out. So I ended up finishing up college, getting my bachelor's degree in finance. Just because I didn't know anything about finance, I figured why not. So I got my degree in finance and landed at a small investment company in Houston working in corporate finance. We're talking to Seth Brown, United States Army veteran. But that's not what you do now, right? I just, what I do now, I've just, I've gone up a little bit. I went back to school, got my MBA. So now more in like, I went business development financial, okay, business development at the same company. So it's, it was a, it was a right turn from what I was doing in the army, a total 180. That's for sure. Yeah, from out, out in the front, leading the way to, to back behind a desk. But you are still, you're still scouting for opportunities, right? Absolutely. I mean, I would never say no to anything that would come across my desk. I mean, I think anybody would be a fool to close any door that could be open. So are you allowed to say what company you work for? Yeah, of course. I work for R.A.W. Investments. It's a very small mom and pop investment company outside of Houston. Invest in aviation, FBOs. So anything aviation related, planes, maintenance, FBOs, that's kind of its target. And what does FBO stand for for the regular people that may not know what an FBO is? Yeah, stands for fixed based operator. And basically, it's just, it's like a gas station for airplanes, gas station and services, who most places offer obviously your jet fuel. And most places will offer some type of small time GSE type stuff, where they'll do small maintenance on the plane. It needs to be done GPUs and stuff like that. So many acronyms, so little time. So GSEs are general service. Great question. I don't know. Wrong side of the house. I just know the acronym. Okay. All right. And that happens, right? I mean, even in the, you know, when you're in the military, you know, the acronym, you're like, I don't know what it means, but we got to do it. You're exactly. It's like 50% like career. We're talking to Seth Brown United States Army veteran. So here's a question I like to ask people. So you were a cavalier, cavalier scout. You know, I used to talk for a living in the United States Army. Now you're working in this essentially finance job, right? And so what skills that you learned in the United States Army benefit you today? What skills are you still using every day? I think discipline's always going to be one. I think mentality as well. You're always going to be, not I'd probably say 90% of people are always going to be somewhat different than somebody that hasn't served when they go into their career. So there's things that I see as a benefit that have helped me that others are so foreign to that they don't even identify it. But you're basically you're discipline, being on your own, you mature quickly. Those are all good things to have when you're a young person, becoming a young adult, you know, I'd say that anybody that gets out of the army is going to be 15 years ahead of their peer. That's the same age. Just because of the atmosphere that they're in when they're in the military is just so different than a regular civilian path. Yeah, and we're talking to Seth Browne's United States Army veteran. So Seth, you know, that maturity, that opportunity to lead, right? And those leadership skills, I would assume seven and a half years in the United States Army, you had some leadership roles, right? Of course, yeah, I became a leader pretty quickly. I mean, I promoted to an on commission officer in less than two years, which is pretty quick. So the majority of my time was spent leading soldiers, leading, you know, young 19 year olds. So it's a very, it's a great place to learn because there's people from different backgrounds. You're all pretty young on the young side, but you know, you'll be 22 and have the maturity of 40 year old just because you're forced into. You have no other option because there's a lot at stake. We're talking to Seth Browne, United States Army veteran and you said it, no other option but to lead, right? You've got, you've got people depending on you and similar in your professional role, right? You take those leadership skills, you translate those into the work that you're doing and you make sure you're making. Here's here's something we hear a lot lately. Good choices. That's right. Good choices. Meaningful impact. There's always been a meaningful impact type of guy. So like going into whatever I'm doing and I want to make a meaningful impact, I don't want to be you know, a sideline rider if that makes sense. I want to actually drag the organization forward somehow if that means pushing or pulling, whatever needs to be done, I like to make that impact. Right. You know what? Stuff to get stale or stag made or just inaction because there's nothing worse than inaction, right? When you're in a situation, you've got to do something or at least, at least you believe you need to do something. There are some folks that believe they don't have to do anything and that's where things don't move forward, right? Absolutely. Yeah. I completely agree with that. So Seth, anything that we missed here in your in your military career, your transition, that you would like to add? I don't think I like to add probably is if you're planning to transition and whatever plans you have, just expect them to go off the rails at some point. It's going to be probably a lot harder than you think it's going to be. I think most people go through kind of that a little bit of hard times transitioning out because you lose your identity a little bit. If I go back in time and talk to me when I was getting out, I probably say that you need to grab your transition by the horns and just grab that, bold by the horns and just give it all you got because if you don't, you can go off the rails and you obviously don't want to do that. You want to make your life successful. And use your resources, right? You've got your peers, your resources that you're provided and all of those, is there a particular resource that you found when you were transitioning out that was specifically helpful to you? Honestly, probably like the VA home loan is unparalleled. I mean, it got us into a house very flawlessly. Obviously, it's no money down, which is it got us on our feet first. which was nice because it allowed us to have some flexibility in, you know, what I want to do moving forward. I don't have to think about how is anything like that and that can be pretty stressful when you don't know that aspect of life. So I'd probably say arguably anything veterans affairs related, I'm sure there's programs that I have no idea about that, you know, if you reach out to them, they'd be going to share with you. So yeah, definitely use your resources, plenty out there. There's probably all kinds that are unknown to most people. They're just waiting to be utilized. They're waiting for that phone call from the veteran. So absolutely Seth Brown United States Army veteran. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today on the main veteran spotlight. Of course, that a great time. Thank you. Civil Air Patrol America's premiere aviation nonprofit has been serving American communities since 1941, formed as civilian pilots patrolling the coastline from Maine to Mexico during World War II. CAP has evolved into a multi-mission national organization operating the world's largest fleet of single-engine aircraft and the country's largest fleet of service drones. CAP is dedicated to providing communities with a suite of emergency services, humanitarian relief, youth development and leadership initiatives and aerospace and STEM education programs. More than 55,000 volunteer members age 12 to 100 serve fellow Americans in good times and in bad to learn more and to find a squadron near you to explore. Visit gocivilairpatrol.com that's gocivilairpatrol.com Welcome to the Maine veteran spotlight a collaborative effort with the main association of broadcasters. Reitz across America, Portland media group, the University of Maine system, Bennett radio group, Blueberry broadcasting and Rangely Community Radio live jet peers, director of media and military partnerships for Reitz across America. It is my honor today to be talking to Joseph Craig. He's the director of the AUSA book program. Joseph, thank you so much for being on again with us. It's my pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me. So the reason you're on today is you produce the series of graphic novels which are a medal of honor series. Can you explain to our listeners what that is? Absolutely. What we want to do is you know we want to teach a new generation about Army history and Army values. So we try to figure out different ways that we could reach that generation. Now AUSA has lots of programs and publications but to reach the younger folks we thought graphic novel would be a good approach. And what we do is we actually hire people from the comic book industry. So these are professionals who know how to write and illustrate stories. So we profile medal of honor recipients in this case, our Army medal of honor recipients. These fantastically talented people create the stories bring it to life and then we send it to historians to vet all the details. Make sure we're getting the you know all the details right because these stories need no embellishment. They are amazing enough on the realm. We're talking to Joseph Craig. He's the director of the AUSA book program and I should ask this question first. Can you explain to our listeners what AUSA is? Absolutely. The Association of the United States Army. It's a nonprofit organization. We've been around 75 years and it's comprised of people who join as volunteers. You know anyone can join the Association. We just hit the 2 million member mark this this year's. We're very excited about that. So you know obviously there's a lot of veterans, active duty folks, families, but civilians are welcome. Anyone who cares about the Army and its role in national security can be the new the next addition to the 2 million members that we have. And you know so we would like to support the Army and its soldiers. As I mentioned we have lots of programs and publications to help educate the American public about the Army and what it does. Thank you Joseph. I appreciate you explaining that to people because obviously we don't want people to think you're an insurance company. Well we'd be glad to get the business. We just welcome anyone to come to AUSA.org and find out more. We're talking to Joseph Greg. He is the director of the AUSA book program. So back to this edition. So this is your volume 8 issue 1. So how long have you been putting these graphic novels out? Well this is our 8th vine because that means it's the 8th year. We actually started in 2018. We did a test case with a profile of in York. It came out on the 100th anniversary of his actions in October 1918. It was just around the time a month later when the armistice was signed so it was a big centennial for the victory in World War I. And we got great reception to it. We weren't surprised but it was nice to see that people love the idea of doing graphic novels on these heroes. So we rolled it out and we do four issues each year. They are initially released digitally. You can go to the AUSA.org/MOH for MetalBonder. So they're all put up on AUSA.org/MOH as I said four a year. And then what we do is we collect them into a paperback which we release at AUSA's annual meeting in October. I got last year's edition at AUSA's as a speaker gift for speaking at AUSA last year. Not that I'm bragging. I appreciate your hard work. And I'm afraid I'm going to be honest with you. I'm afraid to open it. I don't want to devalue the product. Well collectors, collectors items are important and valuable but these are meant to be read. So you know if you want to put that away in storage you're welcome to gather the individual paperback collections that we have. And as I said, anyone can go on to the website and take a look at them for free. So in this issue, volume eight, issue one, footsie Brit. This is kind of a cool story. How did you end up selecting Maurice footsie Brit and can you give us the top line on him to inspire people to check him out? Absolutely. You know, footsie Brit. In short, he was a professional football player. He's one of the only football players to go on and receive the nation's top military award. And it's just an amazing story. So this is a guy who played for the Detroit Lions. He was drafted in 1941. A few months later, he had Pearl Harbor happen and you know next year he was off to war. So he was assigned to the third infantry division. You know, he fought in Italy where he went on to become the first person to get all the top awards for valor in a single war. So you know, the bronze star, the silver star, distinguished service cross, and the medal of honor. Plus some purple hearts in there as well. Everyone knows about Audie Murphy because she did the same thing but Maurice footsie Brit actually did it first. So he was quite a phenomenon back here in the States at the time. And it's just a great story. I encourage people to read it. Absolutely. And they can get that on your website and read the footsie story and the other medal of honor recipients from the Army that you featured in your graphic novel series. This is just reading the top line bio of footsie is definitely a cool story and I will definitely have to go to the website and check it out. Anything else you want to add, Joseph? Well, we're just excited to have these graphic novels come out for you know for readers and you know, anyone can go online, take a look. So we encourage them to see these amazing stories. They you know, go back to Civil War soldiers. That was when the medal was first initiated all the way up through modern times and we tried to do a nice mix of different errors and they're all compelling stories and really encourage people to find out more. And also encourage people to go to a USA dot org. It is you know, you mentioned this earlier. I'm just going to reinforce this point. Anybody that supports the United States Army can be a member of a USA. There is a free membership option. You can be a member. You can receive the newsletter. You can receive some special offers from them and it's not all spam, although I enjoy eating spam. And sorry, I didn't know if that joke was going to play. And and and just you know, the opportunity there to see what our men and women who are serving and have served that support a USA and get updates and the work that a USA is doing to advocate for the United States Army is is all good reasons to become a member of a USA. Did I get it right? Absolutely. Yeah, we encourage people to check it out. We do have that you know, free basic membership. There's premium levels, a premium level, also an which is inexpensive and get you additional benefits. And and this year because it's America 250. A.W.A. is offering some specials with discounted prices. For example, you become a life member if you want for only $250. - There's lots of different options at lower price points and there's always the free option as well. So please check it out. - Absolutely, and I would just say not to prolong this interview for the sake of prolonging it, but I started out as a free member and then found the partner program and so our organization is a member through that, through the Joshua Chamberlain chapter here in Maine. So there are a lot of benefits to joining A.W.A. and to help erase awareness if you are involved in a nonprofit. Joseph Craig, thank you so much for the time today. Thank you so much for the work that you're doing, sharing the stories of the soldiers every four times a year in the graphic moments. - I wish my pleasure to be here and thank you for spreading the word about these remarkable soldiers. - They had names, they had families, they had dreams. We often honor our service members as a group, but each one was an individual with a story that helped shape the freedoms we cherish today. At Reaths across America, it's our mission to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach the next generation the value of freedom. From the Revolutionary War to those serving at this very moment, their sacrifices were and are deeply personal. And as we approach America's 250th anniversary, we're called to remember them, not collectively, but one by one. Some we knew well. Others lie beneath weathered markers, their families long gone, leaving only stone and silence. But we can change that. We can be the ones who refuse to forget. Volunteer to cemetery near you. Sponsor Reath for a veteran. Share their story with the world. But most importantly, answer their quiet call. Remember me, because no one who served should ever be forgotten. Learn more in Sponsor Reath today at Reaths across America. (upbeat music) - Welcome to the main veteran spotlight, a collaborative effort with the main association of broadcasters, Reaths across America, Portland Media Group, the University of Maine System, Bennett Radio Group, Blueberry Broadcasting, and Rangely Community Radio. I'm Chuck Igo, a former Navy Second Class Radioman and longtime New England broadcaster. This time around our main veteran spotlight shines on two Meville LaBonger recipients, both having enlisted in Portland Maine and served together on the same command. Navy Gunners meet Charles Biber, and Navy Fireman Second Class Charles Rice, two of nine crewmen from the USS Aguom, who performed above and beyond the Call of Duty, in December of 1864. Navy Gunners meet Charles J. Biber, born March 22nd, 1837 in Portland, Maine. His father, Joel, and mother Hannah raised a large family, which including Charles would total 13 children. The family, like many of the time in coastal Maine, made their living from the sea or related industries, including fishing, shipping, and shipbuilding. By 1850, the family had relocated to Bath, Maine, and would return to Portland by the early 1860s. By May of 1864, then 27 year old Charles Biber had married and started his own family, when he enlisted in the Union Navy for two-year hitch. He underwent initial Navy training and owing to his previous experience on the water, easily completed his courses, and soon after had advanced to Gunners' mate on board the USS Aguom. Charles Rice was born in Maine in 1840, although not much is known about his early life. Some Portland newspapers noted the Rice Family Homestead in Westbrook, where several generations of the family had lived for years. Rice enlisted in the Union Navy as a teenager, entering service in Portland, Maine, and most likely beginning as a cabin boy on the USS Aguom, who then worked his way through the ranks in a short period of time, rising to fireman's second class with his duties as a coal heaver. The USS Aguom was a double-ended side-wheel gunboat that had been commissioned in March of 1864, and was part of the Union's blockading squadron off the coast of the Virginians and the Carolinas. The strategy was called the Anaconda Plan, keeping a tight lid on shipping in and out of the James River supply lines for the Confederates in Richmond and Petersburg. The Aguom's mission was to protect Union transports and supply vessels from enemy torpedoes, shore batteries, and potential iron-clad raids. Biber in the crew of the Aguom saw action in a number of skirmishes, including shelling and trench-confeterate forces in their attempt to eliminate or capture the Union's supply depot at Trent's Reach on the James River. Subsequently, the Aguom joined the USS Mendota near Richmond at four mile creek, and they shelled a fortified Confederate battery after the battery had been targeting Union ships. The first battle of Fort Fisher began on December 23rd, 1864, and represented a critical Union amphibious operation, aimed at capturing the Confederate stronghold guarding Wilmington, North Carolina. The last major southern port opened a blockade runner supplying General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. As part of major general Benjamin F. Butler's command, supported by rear admiral David D. Porter's North Atlantic blockade in Squadron, the assault sought to sever Confederate supply lines and hasten the war's end. A novel tactic in this effort was the deployment of an explosive laden powder boat to breach the fort's earthen walls and demoralize its garrison, setting the stage for a troop landing and infantry advance. Biber, serving as the gunners made on board the Aguom, volunteered with eight fellow crew members for the perilous powder boat mission, making nine volunteers in total from the Aguom, all of whom would eventually receive the Medal of Honor for their bravery. The volunteers transferred to the USS Louisiana, a screw steamer packed with approximately 215 tons of gunpowder. That was towed undetected into shallow waters near Fort Fisher by the USS Wilderness. Under the cover of darkness, the crew positioned the vessel about 200 to 300 yards offshore, lit an intricate system of fuses and clockwork mechanisms and ignited fires in the propeller shaft to ensure detonation. To direct the boat toward the fort's breach, they dropped a second anchor on a short scope, then a band-in ship in a small boat and rejoined the wilderness, which drew roughly 12 miles to safety within the main fleet. Biber's role involved direct handling of the explosives during the setup, exposing him to immediate risks of premature ignition or detection by Confederate pickets. The mission demanded extraordinary bravery amidst constant threats, including the powder's instability, potential Confederate artillery fire if spotted, and the hazards of navigating enemy held waters in poor conditions. Despite these dangers, the crew executed their tasks with precision, though an offshore breeze and undertow shifted the Louisiana off course. The explosion occurred less than two hours later around 140 AM on December 24th, producing a massive fireball and smoke plume visible for miles. That was followed by fires that burned at the fort into the next day. While the blast caused no structural damage to Ford Fisher's defenses and inflicted minimal casualties, alerting rather than stunning the Confederates, the operation partially succeeded in disrupting the garrison and supporting the subsequent naval bombardment of over 20,000 shells. Biber's personal exposure to these risks, without injury, highlighted his resolve in a scheme that, though tactically limited, exemplified Union innovation in siege warfare. The landing force met stiff resistance and withdrew by December 27th, marking the battle's failure but paved the way for a successful second assault in January 1865. High-witness accounts from commanding officers underscored the crew's bravery in their nomination for recognition. Rira Admiral David D. Porter in his official dispatch dated December 26th, 1864, described the mission as the most perilous adventure that was perhaps ever undertaken. Crazing the volunteers' gallantry and he enclosed Commander Ryan's report, which listed the crew members, including Biber and Rice, by name for their desperate service. Commander Ryan's account detailed how the men, aware of high risk or capture or death, commonly executed the placement and ignition despite the vessel's proximity to enemy lines with no shots fired as Confederates mistook it for a blockade runner. Crew members from the Agoam, including Biber and Rice, were highlighted for their steady resolve and handling the explosives under the cover of darkness. The recommendation process moves swiftly through naval channels following the action. Admiral Porter's forwarded the crew's names to Navy Secretary Gideon Wells, emphasizing their actions as deserving of promotion and specialization. commendation to inspire similar valor. This led to their inclusion in General Order No. 45 issued by the Navy Department on December 31, 1864, just eight days after the mission. That General Order formally announced the awarding of the Medal of Honor to the nine Aguilam volunteers for their service on the powder boat. By March of 1865, Biber had been promoted to mate the equivalent of a petty officer first class. On May 12, 1865, medals of honor were presented to Biber and his shipmates aboard the refitted USS Aguilam off Newburn, North Carolina, marking one of the earliest group awards of the Civil War era. Biber's award held historical significance as one of over 1500 medals of honor granted during the Civil War, reflecting the Navy's recognition of enlisted sailors' contributions to innovative joint operations against key Confederate ports, such as Wilmington. The powder boat scheme, though ineffective, exemplified experimental tactics in the Union's blockade strategy, and highlighted the valor required in amphibious assaults with multiple awards stemming from the Fort Fisher campaign overall. Contemporary recognition included commendations in official dispatches and Union's reports. Porter's praise in his December 26th report to Wells not only nominated the crew, but also circulated widely, appearing in northern newspapers and bolstering morale amid the expedition's broader setbacks. Now, along with both Charles Biber and Charles Rice, the other Aguilam crewmen recognized that day included Dennis Conlon, a semen of New York, Bosenmaid William Garvin of Connecticut, Bosenmaid Charles Hawkins of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Fireman's second-class William Hinnigan of New York, Captain of the After-God Robert Montgomery of Connecticut, Quarter Gunner John Neal from Newfoundland, and James Sullivan, an ordinary semen of Connecticut. The Medal of Honor citations all shared virtually identical wording and recounting the actions of the sailors and were dated 31 December 1864 with formal presentations taking place in May of 1865 on board the Aguilam. After the war, Charles Rice returned to the family homestead in Westbrook where he married and had a daughter. He was a member of the Cloud Man Post of the Grand Army of the Republic's Veterans Group. The Medal of Honor recipient Navy Fireman's second-class Charles Rice passed away in 1895 and was laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery in Westbrook, Maine. Charles Biber returned to New England following his U.S. Navy service in 1866 when he and his family settled in Chelsea, Massachusetts. In 1862, Biber had married Angeline Goodard in Portland and they raised three children, George, Andy, and Charles Jr. At some point before his passing in 1883 at the age of 46, the family had moved to Revere Massachusetts. Navy Gunners made Charles J. Biber, Medal of Honor recipient, was laid to rest in Revere's Woodland Cemetery. In closing, I'm Chuck I. Go and we thank you for listening to Maine Veterans Spotlight. Embers' Possible Hope is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of first responders, healthcare workers, and veterans. They provide compassionate care to those who sacrifice so much for others, one part at a time. And with your support through the Reath Across America sponsorship group program, five dollars of every veteran's Reath sponsored through Embers' Possible Hope helps them help others through the power of therapy dogs. Please visit Reath Across America dot org slash Embers' Possible Hope to donate today. Welcome back to the Maine Veterans Spotlight. A collaborative effort with the Maine Association of Broadcasters, Reaths Across America, Portland Media Group, the University of Maine System, Bennett Radio Group, Blueberry Broadcasting, and Rangely Community Radio. I'm Chuck I. Go, a former Navy Second Class Radiamin and longtime New England Broadcaster. This time around our main veteran's Spotlight shines on Major Charles J. Lowering Jr. of Portland Maine. Lowering was born October 2, 1918 to Charles J. Lowering Sr. and Irene Lowering. His parents were very active in the community, often noted in the Portland Newspaper Society columns. Charles Jr. was a member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception Choir in Portland, and he performed with the ensemble at concerts around the state. Lowering was also a student to piano and was noted as performing at many recitals. In 1933, a younger brother, John, passed away at the age of 11, due to pneumonia. Charles went on to attend Chevrolet High School, where he was a noted athlete as a quarterback on the football team. And he was active in other school organizations, including appearances in various school productions on stage. And he served as president of the school's Junior Red Cross chapter. And in 1936, he was elected the Chevros High School Senior Class President. Charles Lowering Jr. graduated from Chevros High School in 1937, one of three seniors who achieved honors-level grades. Following high school, Lowering attended the Maine School of Commerce, and then held jobs at the FGO Harrah Fish Company, and just prior to his enlistment in 1942, at New England Shipbuilding Corporation in South Portland. In March of 1942, Charles J. Lowering Jr. enlisted in the Army at the age of 23, taking his oath of enlistment in Portland before heading off to boot camp. That was followed by U.S. Army Air Corps pre-flight school at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, getting underway in May, 1942. Following graduation, Lowering received his wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. In December of 1942, Lowering was assigned to the 22nd Fighter Squadron 36th Fighter Group of the Ninth Air Force, flying out of Juana Diaz Puerto Rico, mostly tasked with anti-submarine patrols protecting the Panama Canal and the Caribbean areas. The 36th Fighter Group returned to Charleston, South Carolina, where the pilots who had been flying P-39 and P-40 aircraft began training with some of the newer P-47 Thunderbolts. In April of 1944, the 36th Fighter Group was sent to England, and were based at RAF Kings North in Kent, tasked with missions of reconnaissance, fighter escort, and interdiction against German targets in preparation for Operation Overlord. Following the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Lowering had been awarded a distinguished flying cross for his action in the areas of Coutonce-Safrance that resulted in the destruction of 10 enemy armored vehicles. For the remainder of 1944, he and his group continued to fly air support missions. On Christmas Eve 1944, Lowering's mission had brought him over Belgium when his P-47 was hit by enemy artillery as he strafed ground targets. Having safely landed his aircraft, Lowering was captured and then spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war. Three days before VED May 5, 1945, Lieutenant Charles J. Lawrence Jr. was liberated from that prison camp. Lowering returned home for the summer of 1945, at which point he married the former LC Coulton. Following the cessation of hostilities, Lowering remained in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was promoted to Captain. He worked in a number of administrative roles, including recruitment in Seattle, Washington, and teaching at the Armed Forces Information Schools in Pennsylvania and New York. In 1947, the U.S. Army Air Corps officially became the United States Air Force, and prior to the outbreak of the Korean War in June of 1950, Captain Lowering was attached to the Air Force's advanced training program Air University. He remained on faculty for the next 18 months. On February 3, 1952, Lowering was reassigned to the 23rd, 53rd personnel processing squadron in California and then deployed to South Korea as part of the 8th Fighter Bomber Wing 5th Air Force. His initial duties was to supervise training, replacement pilots, before they were assigned to combat units. During that time, he flew with the 36th Fighter Bomber Squadron and the 80th Fighter Bomber Squadron. In July 1952, Captain Lowering reported for full-time duty with the 36th, returning to combat duty full-time, and now flying the F-80 shooting star Jet Fighter aircraft. Their primary missions were close air support, air strikes, and interdiction sorties in support of the UN ground troops. By November 1952, Lowering had completed 50 combat missions. The UN forces command then commenced a push called Operation Showdown against two targets, Triangle Hill and Sniper Ridge, some 28 miles north of the 38th parallel. The Chinese forces had amassed their largest our curlery stronghold yet in the Korean War. with hundreds of large caliber guns, rocket launchers, and anti-aircraft guns. The Air Force was tasked with eliminating as many of those positions as possible. Late morning, November 22, 1952, Captain Loring led a flight of 4 F-80s on patrol when they received notification of an artillery concentration near sniper ridge and had pinned down UN ground forces in the area. Despite having been informed of a number of anti-aircraft guns, Loring's group went to the coordinates where Loring commenced a dive bomb run. Loring's aircraft was struck several times head-on, which disabled the aircraft and had started visible fires. His wingman suggested he abort the mission, but instead, Loring resume would appear to be a standard bombing run headed straight for the Chinese batteries. He then increased his downward angle and accelerated directly into the Chinese position. Loring was killed instantly on impact, and the Chinese artillery position was completely destroyed. As his remains were never recovered after the crash, Captain Charles J. Loring Jr. was officially listed as missing in action, presumed dead. Loring's family, including his wife, LC, and his father Charles Loring Sr., were notified that he was, according to eyewitness reports from his squadron, most likely dead. He was listed officially as missing in action. The United States involvement in the Korean War ended July 1953, and by December, Loring's family had been informed that the pilot's actions were indeed heroic and that Captain Loring had been approved for the Medal of Honor. In a Port La Presse Harold interview in April of 1954, Charles Loring Sr. stated that the Air Force had informed the family of the Medal of Honor nomination, but they had withheld that information from the public, owing to the one possibility that Captain Loring might still be alive and held as a prisoner. An announcement of honors in that case for the pilot might have resulted in harsher treatment, including torture from his possible captors. Along with the news of the honors, Captain Charles J. Loring Jr. was promoted to major. On May 5, 1954, L.C. Loring and her children were presented with the Medal of Honor on behalf of major Charles Loring by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with the announcement that the newly built Air Force Base in limestone Maine would be named "Loring Air Force Base." Loring's Medal of Honor citation noted his daring actions above and beyond the call of duty and concluded with, quote, "Major Loring's noble spirit, superlative courage, and conspicuous self-sacrifice in inflicting maximum damage on the enemy, exemplified valor of the highest degree, and his actions were in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Air Force." Along with the Medal of Honor and Distinguished Flying Cross, major Loring was also the recipient of the Purple Heart with Oakleaf Cluster, the Air Medal with 11 Oakleaf Clusters, the Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Medal, National Defense Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with six campaign stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Korean War Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal Korea, Air Force Long-Gevity Service Ribbon with Oakleaf Cluster, and in 1985, major Loring posthumously received the Prisoner of War Medal. Loring became one of four U.S. Air Force Medal of Honor recipients in Korea. Major Charles J. Loring Jr. is remembered in many ways, including the 1957 renaming of a portion of the East-Deering Expressway as the Charles J. Loring Memorial Highway in Portland. The Portland Amvets chapter bears the name of Charles J. Loring posthumously 25, and the combined enlisted and officers club at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea bears his name. Chevros High School has a display featuring major Loring story, replicas of his medals as well as his high school diploma, and near Loring's family neighborhood on the tip of Portland's Peninsula on Munjo Hill, Loring Memorial Park was dedicated in the year 2000. Although Loring's remains were never recovered, there are two senotops, a memorial marker noting his life. One is located Calvary Cemetery in South Portland, Maine, and the other at Arlington National Cemetery. Loring was survived by his wife Elsie and their two daughters, Charlene and Aldorb, his father, Charles J. Loring Senior, as well as four brothers and two sisters. Major Charles J. Loring Junior, Medal of Honor recipient, was 35 at the time of his death. In closing, I'm Chuck Eingo, and we thank you for listening to Maine Veterans Spotlight.