Commander of the famed 100th Bomb Group in World War II and the only colonel to ever command the famed 8th Air Force. Awards include the Silver Star for leading July 24, 1943 mission to Trondheim, Norway; the Distinguished Flying Cross for supply route survey flights to Africa June 5-July 20, 1942 with oak leaf cluster OLC (for mission to bomb Posen on Feb. 24, 1944; the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters; American Defense Ribbon with One Star; American Theater Ribbon with one star; ETO Ribbon with two battle stars; Mackay Trophy ribbon; French Croix de Guerre with palm; Distinguished Unit Ribbon for the historic Regensburg mission with oak leaf clusters for Berlin missions flown March 4, 6 and 8, 1944. In service June 14, 1927 to August 1, 1957, he commanded the "Bloody Hundredth" July 2, 1943-March 6, 1944.
Harding was a 1927 graduate of West Point and first drew attention and fame as Army's football coach. Prior to World War II Harding also flew one of the original B-17 bombers that took part in a goodwill tour of South America in February 1938, in the company of such air greats as Curtis E. LeMay and Robert Olds, who also later commanded 8th Air Force.
Findagrave refused this bio as a famous submission, asking what he did before and after the war that merited "famous." Here is a snippet: "What else did he do? Born in 1905, WW2 began 36 years later, so what did he do in those years? What did he do after WW2?"
Here is my reply:
Harding's fame is for his stellar leadership of the "Bloody Hundredth" Bomb Group in World War II, perhaps 8th Air Force's best and most storied unit, which served as the model for the movie "Twelve O'Clock High." Like many career military officers, he had little chance to shine before the war in the accepted sense. Look at Grant's, Patton's and Eisenhower's prewar stories for examples on how lukewarm military careers can be in peacetime. And he was too intolerant of stupidity and sloth on the part of superiors to do much for his career in the post-war peace. Like Medal of Honor recipient Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, he was a hero and leader in war who was put on a back burner during the peace and had to leave as an O-6 instead of as a member of the Galaxy.
Harding was a 1927 graduate of West Point and first drew attention and fame as Army's football coach. Prior to World War II Harding also flew one of the original B-17 bombers that took part in a goodwill tour of South America in February 1938, in the company of such air greats as Curtis E. LeMay and Robert Olds, who also later commanded 8th Air Force.
Findagrave refused this bio as a famous submission, asking what he did before and after the war that merited "famous." Here is a snippet: "What else did he do? Born in 1905, WW2 began 36 years later, so what did he do in those years? What did he do after WW2?"
Here is my reply:
Harding's fame is for his stellar leadership of the "Bloody Hundredth" Bomb Group in World War II, perhaps 8th Air Force's best and most storied unit, which served as the model for the movie "Twelve O'Clock High." Like many career military officers, he had little chance to shine before the war in the accepted sense. Look at Grant's, Patton's and Eisenhower's prewar stories for examples on how lukewarm military careers can be in peacetime. And he was too intolerant of stupidity and sloth on the part of superiors to do much for his career in the post-war peace. Like Medal of Honor recipient Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, he was a hero and leader in war who was put on a back burner during the peace and had to leave as an O-6 instead of as a member of the Galaxy.
Commander of the famed 100th Bomb Group in World War II and the only colonel to ever command the famed 8th Air Force. Awards include the Silver Star for leading July 24, 1943 mission to Trondheim, Norway; the Distinguished Flying Cross for supply route survey flights to Africa June 5-July 20, 1942 with oak leaf cluster OLC (for mission to bomb Posen on Feb. 24, 1944; the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters; American Defense Ribbon with One Star; American Theater Ribbon with one star; ETO Ribbon with two battle stars; Mackay Trophy ribbon; French Croix de Guerre with palm; Distinguished Unit Ribbon for the historic Regensburg mission with oak leaf clusters for Berlin missions flown March 4, 6 and 8, 1944. In service June 14, 1927 to August 1, 1957, he commanded the "Bloody Hundredth" July 2, 1943-March 6, 1944.
Harding was a 1927 graduate of West Point and first drew attention and fame as Army's football coach. Prior to World War II Harding also flew one of the original B-17 bombers that took part in a goodwill tour of South America in February 1938, in the company of such air greats as Curtis E. LeMay and Robert Olds, who also later commanded 8th Air Force.
Findagrave refused this bio as a famous submission, asking what he did before and after the war that merited "famous." Here is a snippet: "What else did he do? Born in 1905, WW2 began 36 years later, so what did he do in those years? What did he do after WW2?"
Here is my reply:
Harding's fame is for his stellar leadership of the "Bloody Hundredth" Bomb Group in World War II, perhaps 8th Air Force's best and most storied unit, which served as the model for the movie "Twelve O'Clock High." Like many career military officers, he had little chance to shine before the war in the accepted sense. Look at Grant's, Patton's and Eisenhower's prewar stories for examples on how lukewarm military careers can be in peacetime. And he was too intolerant of stupidity and sloth on the part of superiors to do much for his career in the post-war peace. Like Medal of Honor recipient Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, he was a hero and leader in war who was put on a back burner during the peace and had to leave as an O-6 instead of as a member of the Galaxy.
Harding was a 1927 graduate of West Point and first drew attention and fame as Army's football coach. Prior to World War II Harding also flew one of the original B-17 bombers that took part in a goodwill tour of South America in February 1938, in the company of such air greats as Curtis E. LeMay and Robert Olds, who also later commanded 8th Air Force.
Findagrave refused this bio as a famous submission, asking what he did before and after the war that merited "famous." Here is a snippet: "What else did he do? Born in 1905, WW2 began 36 years later, so what did he do in those years? What did he do after WW2?"
Here is my reply:
Harding's fame is for his stellar leadership of the "Bloody Hundredth" Bomb Group in World War II, perhaps 8th Air Force's best and most storied unit, which served as the model for the movie "Twelve O'Clock High." Like many career military officers, he had little chance to shine before the war in the accepted sense. Look at Grant's, Patton's and Eisenhower's prewar stories for examples on how lukewarm military careers can be in peacetime. And he was too intolerant of stupidity and sloth on the part of superiors to do much for his career in the post-war peace. Like Medal of Honor recipient Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, he was a hero and leader in war who was put on a back burner during the peace and had to leave as an O-6 instead of as a member of the Galaxy.
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