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Moxhay, Charles Jr.

Charles Moxhay U.S. Army Air Corps WWII
Charles Moxhay U.S. Army Air Corps WWII


 
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Date of Birth: 9/22/1917
Died On: 8/26/2002
Street Address: 591 Milton Road
Service Number: 32024429
Branch of Service: U.S. Army Air Corps - 730th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force


Veteran Code: USAAC-113


BIOGRAPHY
 
Charles Moxhay

Charles (Charlie) Moxhay was born on September 22, 1917, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Mabel Stephens, age 37, and Charles Baker Moxhay, age 36. In Rye his family lived at 591 Milton Road and were members of Christ Church. Charles was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1935.

He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Charlie was a bombardier on a B-17 in Europe during World War II. ''He and his crew flew 30 missions over Germany,'' Anne Moxhay said. He served with the 452nd Bomb Group, 730th Bomb Squadron of U.S. 8th Air Force.

The squadron was first activated in June 1943 at Geiger Field, Washington as the 730th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 452d Bombardment Group.

While waiting in Washington to be assigned a station, Charlie ran into a fellow Rye High School graduate and friend, Elliot Eakin. The two were eventually stationed in Britain together, and Eakin was the pilot of the plane.

Lieut. Moxhay flew with Eakin on 30 missions and went on to say “I can remember at least five times when Eakin saved my life” and called him a “superlative” pilot. Lt. Eakin himself praised their crew for its individual expertise that slot together easily, “we developed a smooth working team that brought us through many a rough spot.”

Their plane, dubbed the "Inside Curve" after the pitch in baseball known to be hardest to hit, was a B-17 Flying Fortress. It flew in raids over Germany without a dedicated escort of fighter pilots.

The squadron established itself at RAF Deopham Green in January 1944, and began operations on 4 February 1944 with a strike on an aircraft assembly plant near Brunswick. Its strategic targets included railroad marshalling yards near Frankfurt, aircraft factories near Regensberg and Kassel. the ball bearing factory at Schweinfurt and an oil refinery near Bohlen.

The 730th was occasionally diverted to support tactical operations. It hit airfields, V-weapon launching sites, bridges and other objectives in preparations for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. It bombed enemy positions to support Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo in July 1944 and the attacks on Brest, France in August.

It supported Operation Market Garden, airborne attacks in the Netherlands in September and, during the Battle of the Bulge, struck German lines of communication. It struck an airfield to support Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine

After completing their 30 missions, 1st Lieutenants Moxhay and Eakin were both awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal, for incredible heroism. The Inside Curve continued service with a new crew. On it's 113th mission It was was shot down over Breman, Germany on December 10, 1944. There were no survivors.

Charlie returned to Rye In October 1944 and spoke to the Lions Club "Lieut, Moxhay Urges Sympathetic Understanding To War Veterans"

He had lived in Rye from the time he was 4 until he and his wife moved to Leesburg, FL in 1994. They were married in 1974 in Rye.

''He knew all about Rye. He was kind of a historian of the city,'' she said. Charlie wrote two books, "Rye on the Water" and "100 Years of Health Care in Rye". He was also president of the Rye Historical Society in the 1980s.

In Rye, her husband was a member of the Lions Club, the Masonic Lodge and the American Legion. He was also a Boy Scout leader there in the 1950s and '60s and was awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Boy Scouts in the 1960s. ''He took his Explorer post on an empty troop ship to Europe one summer and to Puerto Rico and Jamaica,'' his wife said.

Charlie was also president of the Rye YMCA in the 1970s and sat on the national board of the YMCA. He and his wife traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Jerusalem YMCA.

Charlie retired from his insurance business, Moxhay Associates, in 1987. His wife said Charlie, who was also a volunteer for a Hospice at United Hospital in Port Chester, N.Y., derived pleasure from his service work. ''He really enjoyed helping others,'' she said. He attended St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg.


Some of Charlie Moxhay's happiest occasions were when he lent his baritone to perform show tunes for fund-raisers at high-school auditoriums, beach clubs and supper clubs in Rye, N.Y. ''He was a great mimic. He could sing like Tevye doing `If I Were a Rich Man' from Fiddler on the Roof or perform `I'm Getting Married in the Morning,' from My Fair Lady with a British accent,'' said his wife, Anne Moxhay.

Charles Moxhay died Monday August 26, 2002 in Leesburg, FL from cancer. He was 84.

At the time of his death, along with wife, he was survived by son Gregg Moxhay of Rye, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

He is buried in Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, NY

Links to this Veterans History


  0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 
5 of 5 Charley. Moxhay February 14, 2023
Reviewer: Frank Harrigan from Fjhdixie@aol,.coim  
I knew Charley as I was in the insurance business as well….=

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