they encountered over 400 Luftwaffe fighters on the way to a combat mission near Berlin, Germany. During the Battle of Merseburg, over half of the Luftwaffe fighters were destroyed by the 8th Air Force, setting a new record. Fladmark completed a total of 64 combat missions over Nazi Germany and received the Air Medal with ten Oak Leaf Clusters. After his tour of duty, he was transferred to the United States on January 24, 1945. He was stationed in Santa Ana, California until war's end. Fladmark was discharged from the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1945 and returned to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Fladmark continued his education at Augustana College and also flew with Professor Robert Branson's aerobatic team of Flandreau, South Dakota. Post-World War II The War Department authorized the establishment of Air National Guard units in all 48 states, with three units comprising a wing based in Sioux Falls, Sioux City and Des Moines, Iowa. The Air National Guard 132nd Wing was organized by Colonel Frederick C. Gray Jr. who was a veteran of the RAF and 8th Air Force during World War II. Colonel Gray, based in Des Moines, Iowa, acted as wing senior instructor for the three Air National Guard units which comprised the wing. Col. Gray's appointment was made by Brigadier General Charles H. Grahl, Iowa Adjutant General, on June 26, 1946. Col. Frederick C. Gray Jr. later attended the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In 1946, Fladmark was appointed to the rank of Captain and the duty of a Flight Commander with the Air National Guard 175th Fighter Squadron based in Sioux Falls. Fladmark's appointment was approved by Colonel E.A. Beckwith, South Dakota Adjutant General in Rapid City, South Dakota on September 20, 1946. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Augustana College in Sioux Falls in 1948. He also worked for the local newspaper the Argus Leader. Korean War Fladmark was recalled into the Air Force on November 14, 1950, for training in jet fighters and a tour in the Korean War. In February 1951, Fladmark reunited with a flying friend when he was assigned to the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, which was reactivated by Colonel Frederick Gray. The 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing was a component of the 5th Air Force, Far East Forces. During the Korean War, he flew 100 combat missions over North Korea. A report from Headquarters of