Bazooka Charlie and Don Ross

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. During the Second World War, there were many times that this proverb rang very true; inventions like synthetic rubber, the jeep, the atomic bomb, and even duct tape were all developed to meet the needs of the war effort. There were a few other innovations that proved themselves in the war as well; the creation of floating tanks, the mine and hedge-clearing attachments to tanks, and the Mulberry harbors all used in the D-Day invasions for example.

There was one innovation that really stands out in my mind, because it would become the grandfather of one of the greatest attack aircraft of all time—the A-10 Warthog. In today’s episode of Random History, I will present the story of Bazooka Charlie—a history teacher from Maine, that changed the face of close air support forever.