LT Chilton's crew at Sudbury.
From left: Robert "Red" Chilton (P), Pete Pascarzi (BG), Tom Mayfield (CP), Bert Clinskton (WG), Malcolm Falterman (FE), Harold Hawkins (TG), Ken Dockery (NG/Togglier), Tom Schuster (ROG). Not photographed: John Stanilonis. (submitted by Robert Chilton)
The plane I flew most of my missions in was 787. When things got quiet after the 8th stood down, my crew and crew chief, Jim Little, put the name Red Raider on the nose.
When I and other members of CLASS44-D reported to Lockbourne AFB, Columbus, Ohio, it happened that my name was at the top of the alphabetical listing of my training flight. This made me the flight leader charged with assembling the flight in the BOQ area and marching them down to the flight line and reporting the attendance. My laid-back approach to my duties pleased my group (about 20) so they began refering to us as Red Chilton's Red Raiders. When later I acquired an aircrew at Drew Field (now Tampa Municipal) for B-17 replacement training, and we went in as a full crew for briefings, those of my colleagues from Columbus would greet us "here come the red raiders". This greatly pleased my new aircrew; thus, the application of the name to ol' 787 after we established rapport with her crew chief.
-Bob Chilton