Charles C. Pattillo
Charles Curtis Pattillo (June 3, 1924 – May 20, 2019), also known as Buck Pattillo, was an American Air Force lieutenant general who was deputy commander in chief, U.S. Readiness Command and vice director of the Joint Deployment Agency with headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He died in May 2019 at the age of 94. Early life Pattillo was born in June 1924 in Atlanta. He was the twin brother of fellow US Air Force major general, Cuthbert A. Pattillo, with whom he was born 7 minutes apart. He graduated from Atlanta Technical High School in 1942. He received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado, in 1962 and a master's degree in international affairs from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., in 1965. World War II In November 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet. Following intensive training at various bases in the Southeastern Training Command, he received his pilot wings and a commission as second lieutenant in March 1944 He next trained in P-40s and in November 1944 went to the European theater of operations where he flew combat missions with the 352nd Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force. While with the 352nd Group he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters. Post war service Pattillo was released from active duty in December 1945 and enrolled in the Georgia School of Technology. There he actively participated in the reserve military program flying, P-47s with the 128th Fighter Squadron, 54th Fighter Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard. In February 1948 Pattillo was recalled to active military duty as a P-51 fighter pilot with the 31st Fighter Group, Turner Air Force Base, Ga. Eleven months later he was assigned to the 22nd Fighter Squadron, 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany. While at Fürstenfeldbruck he assisted in organizing the U.S. Air Forces in Europe aerial demonstration team, the . He flew left wing and alternate lead for the Skyblazers as they demonstrated their aerial skills in F-80 and F-84 aircraft in more than 250 air shows throughout Western Europe, North Africa, Greece and Turkey. For exceptionally meritorious performance with the Skyblazers he was awarded the Legion of Merit. In August 1952 Pattillo was assigned to the Air Training Command's 3600th Combat Crew Training Group at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. In 1953 he helped organize and then flew left wing for the original U.S. Air Force demonstration team, the Thunderbirds. In February 1954 he returned to the 3600th Combat Crew Training Group to become squadron operations officer, squadron commander and then group operations officer. From July 1956 to August 1959, Pattillo served with the 366th and then the 401st Tactical Fighter Wings, England Air Force Base, Louisiana, as a tactical fighter squadron commander. While at England he flew the F-84F and F-100D and his squadron participated in numerous deployments to Europe as elements of the Composite Air