One La Sallite who survived the war was CHARLES RUSSELL (HS '36), who flew over Luzon in a war plane. Charlie graduated in 1939 in Commerce, then journeyed to the United States where he applied for a naval flying commission. His grandfather was the founder of the pioneer American commercial firm of Russell and Sturgis, and he was therefore an American citizen like all his six brothers who had studied at La Salle. His eldest brother John, followed by Joe, then Bob and Fred, while those who followed him, George and Eddie, also finished high school before the war. He graduated from the Navy's Pensacola aviation school and was commissioned an ensign in 1940, just a year and a half before the attack on Pearl Harbor and Clark Field. His commanding officer considered him a superior student and made him an instructor of the incoming batches of reservists who wanted to become naval fliers. But Charlie wanted to take an active part in the aerial battles over the Pacific before the war ended, and so was assigned as a squadron leader on the Wasp, a carrier of the task force commanded by Admirals MacCain and Mitscher. At dawn of September 21, 1944, coming from the vicinity of Polillo Island, the U.S. fleet struck the enemy in Luzon. By that time, Russell had been promoted to lieutenant, senior grade, wearing two silver bars on his uniform. His group of 16 fighters were to protect the four-engined Constellation bombers that had crippled the Japanese ships on Manila Bay. He had been deliberately chosen to lead the fighters because he knew the terrain like the palm of his hand. The job of the Grumman "Hellcats" was to protect the bombers from interception by Zero planes; but as the enemy had been caught by surprise, they had the skies all to themselves. The bombers finished their runs unscathed, except for an unlucky one that had been hit by anti-aircraft fire. To finish the job of the bombers, Charlie and his group swooped down on the freighters that had escaped the bombs, and were elated when the tanker they had machine-gunned exploded. The other ships were left burning from the incendiary bullets. In the following month of October, Charlie again led 12 "Hellcats" that raided the enemy airfield in Aparri. Charlie proceeded to Laoag with seven of his fighters. The Japanese had hidden their air-craft in camouflaged revetments around the field, but a second and third pass demolished them. These subsequent sorties, made in preparation for the Leyte landing of MacArthur, practically destroyed the air power of the enemy in Luzon.