Fourth but First; the 4th FW and its effect on D-Day 70 years later

by Staff Sgt. Michael Charles
4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

6/6/2014 - SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, NORTH CAROLINA -- On June 6, 1944, Col. Donald Blakeslee, then 4th Fighter Group commanding officer, sounded the recall alarm. The blaring speaker system located at the center of Royal Air Force North Weald Airfield in Debden, England, alerted all awake and asleep alike of the pending meeting.

"Emergency briefing at 0300 hours," a voice roared through the speaker as it echoed across the installation.

The pilots dressed quickly and filed into the briefing hall. They were no stranger to these types of midnight recalls and some expressed their excitement about the random meeting. They had grown weary of the short and uneventful missions escorting bombers to Pas de Calo, a small area of France, which they'd been conducting for nearly a week leading up to that day.

During the briefing, they viewed a secret film showing potential bombing targets along the shores of France. The pilots astutely realized that those subtle escorts were all in preparation of this mission.

Col. Blakeslee was quoted as telling pilots at the briefing he was prepared to lose the whole group if it was to ensure this particular mission's success. He also emphasized the importance of the role the 4th FG was to play going forward.

Their assignment; sweep the area around Rouen, France, in preparation for Operation Overlord, or what many know as the invasion of Normandy. The most important event in the war had just begun and the 4th FG would be the one to lay the course for this pivotal moment in American history.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the invasion of the infamous Normandy Beach. Across the world, men and women from every nation remember the event that marked the turning point in the war. While many know the legacy of the 4th Fighter Wing and its influence throughout history, few know how deep that impact truly goes.

Prior to D-Day, the group had already been responsible for destroying more enemy planes in the air and ground than any other fighter group assigned to the Eighth Air Force. On many occasions they were asked to escort bombers to attack factories, submarine pens and other targets in France or Germany. But this one was different. This unique assignment would lay the framework for all future operations in Europe. Without their success, there is a possibility that the war would have ended drastically different than it did.

By 7 a.m., more than 50 P-51 Mustang aircrafts assigned to the group's 334, 335th and 336 Fighter Squadrons were en-route to their mission. They would continue to fly interdiction and counter-air missions during the entirety of the operation.

According to the accounts of those who participated in the operation, it was a chaotic atmosphere but one that was necessary to ensure the safety of the troops on the ground and the operation's success. They were also told their group had fired some of the first shots during the operation. Information, the group would later curtail into its motto; Fourth but First.

More than 209,000 allied members died during the invasion at Normandy, however, without the dedication of the 4th FG that number could have easily been doubled.

Flash-forward, the 4th FW continues to uphold the standard that was set 70 years ago. It provides airpower dominance at a moment's notice anytime, anyplace. However, one of its earliest and most cherished accomplishments was those of the brave men and women on that day. A day the world would later nickname D-Day.

*The information in this article was provided by historical accounts taken directly from the 4th Fighter Wing historical archives.