Charles Moran II was born in 1924 in Horse Cave, Kentucky, and developed a passion for aviation and basketball. He played for Ed Diddle at Western State Teachers College in 1942, with teammates Dero Downing and John Oldham, before enlisting in the US Army Air Forces in 1943. Moran flew B-17 and B-26 bombers and transitioned postwar to the P-61 Black Widow and then the formidable F-82 "Twin Mustang" all weather interceptor in Japan in 1948. In 1950, he was part of the 68th All-Weather Fighter Interceptor Squadron tasked to cover for civilians evacuating Seoul during first three days of the Korean War. Moran was hit but maneuvered his fighter to destroy a Yak 9. According to eyewitnesses,  This was the first aerial victory of the Korean war. He was awarded the Air Medal. Just 40 days later, on August 7, 1950, Moran and his radar observer went missing during a night intruder mission over North Korea. The wreckage of his F-82G was found 18 months later. Moran’s body was returned and laid to rest in Horse Cave, Kentucky.

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