Griffin, Thomas Carson, Maj

Deceased
 
 Service Photo   Service Details
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Last Rank
Major
Last Primary AFSC/MOS
1531A-Navigator
Last AFSC Group
Aircrew
Primary Unit
1946-1959, 1531A, Air Force Reserve Command
Service Years
1939 - 1959
Officer srcset=
Major

 Last Photo   Personal Details 

107 kb


Home State
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Year of Birth
1917
 
This Military Service Page was created/owned by SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr. to remember Griffin, Thomas Carson, Maj USAF(Ret).

If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
 
Contact Info
Home Town
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Last Address
Cincinnati, Ohio
Date of Passing
Feb 26, 2013
 
Location of Interment
Hillside Chapel - Cincinnati, Ohio

 Official Badges 

Air Force Retired


 Unofficial Badges 

Cold War Medal Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Gold Medal


 Military Associations and Other Affiliations
Southwestern Ohio ChapterAir Force Memorial (AFM)
  1959, Distinguished Flying Cross Society (DFCS), Southwestern Ohio Chapter (Commander) (Troy, Ohio) - Chap. Page
  2016, Air Force Memorial (AFM) - Assoc. Page


 Additional Information
Last Known Activity:

He was the navigator in crew #9 on the Doolittle Raid.  He flew 1 more combat mission in Asia and later 19 more with the 438th Bomb Sq. in North Africa until he became a POW. His cremains rest at Hillside Chapel, Cincinnati, OH.

His DFC citation:

Awarded for actions during World War II

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Thomas Carson Griffin (ASN: 0-377848), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement as Navigator of a B-25 Bomber of the 1st Special Aviation Project (Doolittle Raider Force), while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on 18 April 1942. Lieutenant Griffin with 79 other officers and enlisted men volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on himself and the military service.

Action Date: April 18, 1942

Service: Army Air Forces

Rank: First Lieutenant

Company: 1st Special Aviation Project

Division: Doolittle Tokyo Raider Force
Crew #9 (Plane #40-2203, "Whirling Dervish", target Tokyo), 34th Bomb Sq. L-R: Lt. Thomas C. Griffin, navigator; Lt. Harold F. Watson, pilot;  TSgt. Eldred V. Scott, flight engineer/gunnerLt. James M. Parker Jr., copilot;  Sgt. Wayne M. Bissell, bombardier. (U.S. Air Force photo)

   
Other Comments:

Sources:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=105888802
http://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=364
http://www.doolittleraider.com/raiders/griffin.htm
http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=30182
http://www.workersforjesus.com/tgriffin.htm
http://triggertimeforum.yuku.com/topic/9314#.T9kXNRfLyKI
https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=466&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf=F&q=thomas+c+griffin&bc=sl&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=70505

   

  1939-1940, US Army (USA)
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Second Lieutenant
From Month/Year
July / 1939
To Month/Year
July / 1940
Unit
US Army (USA) Unit Page
Rank
Second Lieutenant
AFSC/MOS
Not Specified
Base, Station or City
Not Specified
State/Country
United States
   
 Patch
 US Army (USA) Details

US Army (USA)
Type
HQ/ Command Element
 
Parent Unit
Other Service Branches
Strength
Army
Created/Owned By
Not Specified
   

Last Updated: Dec 10, 2019
   
Memories For This Unit

Other Memories
He was in the 61st Coast Artillery.

   
Yearbook
 
My Photos For This Unit
No Available Photos
88 Members Also There at Same Time
US Army (USA)

Bochkay, Donald Harlow, Lt Col, (1940-1970) [Other Service Rank]
Bohannon, Richard Leland, Lt Gen, (1933-1967) [Other Service Rank]
Champlin, Fredric Fay, Lt Col, (1940-1974) [Other Service Rank]
Delashaw, Robert Lee, Maj Gen, (1933-1969) [Other Service Rank]
Dieter, William John, SSgt, (1936-1942) [Other Service Rank]
Gladen, Cyrus Raymond, Lt Col, (1940-1968) A05 AAF MOS 979 [Other Service Rank]
Paschal, Thomas Clayton, Capt, (1940-1944) 00 [Other Service Rank]
Whiteman, George Allison, 2nd Lt, (1939-1941) 00 [Other Service Rank]
Williams, Adam Ray, MSgt, (1938-1945) [Other Service Rank]
Zoeckler, John Lewis, Maj Gen, (1939-1969) 00 [Other Service Rank]
Hanley, Thomas James, Maj Gen, (1915-1952) Major General
Walton, Leo Andrew, Maj Gen, (1915-1949) Major General
Blackburn, Thomas Welch, Brig Gen, (1917-1952) 11 Brigadier General
Mucci, Henry Andrews, 2nd Lt, (1929-1947) 01 Colonel
Wood, Wilson Roe, Col, (1939-1967) 112 1121Z Colonel
Broadhurst, Edwin Borden, Lt Gen, (1937-1965) 11 Lieutenant Colonel
Duke, Florimond J.D., Col, (1917-1963) Lieutenant Colonel
Brooks, Benjamin L., Lt Col, (1940-1963) A31 AAF MOS 3171 Major
Welker, William, Col, (1941-1965) Major
Saunders, Laverne George, Brig Gen, (1928-1947) Captain
Truesdale, Francis Carlton, Capt, (1942-1943) Captain
Wilson, Jack E., Lt Col, (1940-1969) A23 AAF MOS 1091 Captain
Finnegan, Terence Patrick, Maj Gen, (1937-1962) First Lieutenant
Truesdale, Francis Carlton, Capt, (1942-1943) First Lieutenant
Burns, John Patterson, 1st Lt, (1940-1942) Second Lieutenant
Campbell, William Beverly, Maj Gen, (1940-1973) Second Lieutenant
Lyle, Lewis Elton, Maj Gen, (1938-1967) 00 Second Lieutenant
Lyles, John Thomas, Capt, (1940-1945) A06 AAF MOS 659 Second Lieutenant
Milton, Theodore Ross, Gen, (1934-1974) Second Lieutenant
Murphy, John Byrd, Col, (1939-1964) Second Lieutenant
Nielsen, Ariel Wayne, Brig Gen, (1940-1966) Second Lieutenant
O'Neill, John, Lt Gen, (1940-1977) A14 AAF MOS 4419 Second Lieutenant
Parcell, Bruce Fraley, Lt Col, (1939-1944) Second Lieutenant
Scarborough, Francis H., Capt, (1940-1945) Second Lieutenant
Seawell, William T., Brig Gen, (1937-1963) 00 00 Second Lieutenant
Short, Robert B., Col, (1937-1970) A23 AAF MOS 1024 Second Lieutenant
Smith, Donald Gregory, Capt, (1940-1942) Second Lieutenant
Stapleton, Carl William, Maj Gen, (1935-1973) Second Lieutenant
Truesdale, Francis Carlton, Capt, (1942-1943) Second Lieutenant
Turner, Glen, Lt Col, (1940-1964) Second Lieutenant
Woods, Sidney Sterling, Col, (1937-1962) 01 Second Lieutenant
Zeamer, Jay, Lt Col, (1939-1945) Second Lieutenant
Cooper, Paul Ray, MSgt, (1934-1961) Technical Sergeant
Paschall, Lee McQuerter, Lt Gen, (1940-1978) 990 99000 Technical Sergeant
Mitchell, Obie D., TSgt, (1939-1944) 00 Staff Sergeant
Ayer, Elliot Dean, Capt, (1939-1952) Sergeant
Bruno, Sam, Col, (1935-1963) Sergeant
Deterding, Floyd, M., Lt Col, (1936-1958) 00 Sergeant
Horton, Edwin Weston, MSgt, (1935-1958) A06 AAF MOS 590 Sergeant
Meroney, Virgil Kersh, Col, (1940-1970) Sergeant
Newman, Burrel Franklin, 1st Lt, (1940-1943) Sergeant
Noyes, Joseph H., FltOff, (1940-1943) A06 AAF MOS 188 Sergeant
Spacil, Albert A., SSgt, (1940-1944) A05 AAF MOS 979 Sergeant
Greer, William, Maj, (1940-1960) Corporal
Andrew, Stephen Wallace, Lt Col, (1935-1951) Technician 5th Grade
Borgelt, Harold William, Cpl, (1938-1941) Corporal
Bovey, Charles D., Sgt, (1939-1945) 100 Corporal
Brown, Charles Lester, Lt Col, (1939-1965) Corporal
Killian, Melvin Joseph, Col, (1940-1965) Corporal

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