9000TH MISSION REACHED BY COTTONPICKERS

(Pacific Stars and Stripes, 7 April 1952)

In less than a month’s time the Cottonpicker Squadron flew a thousand missions to boost its tally to over 9000 missions flown.  The squadron, commanded by Major Ruffin Gray, was the Air Force’s first jet photo outfit to see combat when its first missions were flown in F-80s early in July 1950.

During those 9000 missions the Cottonpickers have gathered the majority of all aerial photographs of North Korea.  They photograph such military targets as road and rail lines, airfields, and marshaling yards.  Evaluation of such pix gives information necessary in planning effective airstrikes by nearly all other FEAF units.

Their motto, "Every Man a Tiger", is put to the test almost daily.  Their shooting stars, armed principally with a large camera and the pilot’s nerve, are disturbed almost daily in their work by Russian built MiGs.  In fact the Cottonpickers boast that a new pilot isn’t really a member of the squadron till he has been jumped by MiGs.

GRAY, WILSON OLD TIMERS BOTH WINNERS OF DFC

    Major Ruffin Gray, Squadron CO, celebrated his 100th trip into enemy territory just a few days after his 28th birthday.  Prior to hitting the 100th mark, Major Gray won the Distinguished Flying Cross, "by extraordinary achievement in planning and accomplishing photo recon of a critical enemy area without escort against a superior enemy…Gray displayed great heroism in his continuation of the mission deep in enemy held territory despite the knowledge that his presence was known to the enemy when he was still many miles from the target."