with the 359th Fighter Group and was awarded the Air Medal with three clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross with one cluster. George A. "Pop" Doersch. was the 359th Fighter Group's second highest ranking ace with 10.5 victories in aerial combat (according to USAAF and Imperial Air Museum records) and other sources. Major Doersch flew 78 missions between April 1943 (many in his personal P-51B named "Mis Pop") and July 1944, when returned to the Zone of the Interior. Returning to combat on 20 September 1944, he flew another 69 missions, most in a Mustang P-51D (a replica "OLE GOAT" hangs in the Wisconsin State Museum in Madison). Doersch flew over 500 hours in the ETO, which __ Most of his victories were German Bf-109 and Fw 190 fighters. After World War II he went on to serve in the Strategic Air Command until 1967, retiring from the USAF as a full Colonel.</ref> Air National Guard The group was redesignated 123d Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Standiford Field, Louisville, Kentucky, and was extended federal recognition on 28 September 1947. Upon mobilization, he unit would be gained by Tenth Air Force of Continental Air Command. Upon activation, the group was assigned two of its former squadrons. The 165th Fighter Squadron (the former 368th Fighter Squadron) was located with group headquarters at Standiford Field and the 167th Fighter Squadron (the former 369th Fighter Squadron) was at Kanawha County Airport, West Virginia. The following year, the 156th Fighter Squadron at Morris Field, North Carolina was assigned as the group's third operational squadron. The group was again equipped with Mustangs. Administrative and logistics support for the group was supplied by the 223d Air Service Group, which had detachments at each operational squadron's location. In 1949, the unit earned its first Spaatz Trophy, an award given each year to the premier Air National Guard flying unit. Korean War mobilization After the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, the group was mobilized into federal active duty on 10 October 1950. The group and 165th Squadron moved to Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky at Fort Knox, where they were joined by the 156th and 167th Fighter Squadrons. A few days later, the group was assigned to the newly organized 123d Fighter-Bomber Wing, which combined the group's operational elements and the 223d Air Service