He {Claude} attended Central High School and completed high school in 1942.

He entered the Army Air Corps in November 1942 during World War II. He completed 99 combat missions over Italy, France and Germany, flying P-40 and P-47 fighter aircraft.

After the war was over, he returned to Akron, OH and worked at the McNeil Machine and Engineering Co.  During this time he was married to Carol Lucille Wiland.

In 1947 he was recalled to active duty with the United States Air Force in Bangor, Maine.  In 1949 he was sent to Okinawa and was there when the Korean War began.  He was then sent to Japan and Korea where he flew 100 combat missions, flying the f-80 fighter aircraft during the Korean Campaign.

After he returned to the States he was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, SC and Langley AFB in Virginia.  Next he was stationed at Wethersfield, England flying F-84 fighter aircraft for 3 years. When he returned from England he was station at Del Rio, Texas AFB as the Squadron Commander of the 3645th Combat Crew Training Squadron.

His next assignment was at Randolph AFB, Texas where he was the Squadron Commander of the 3510th Flying Training Squadron.

In 1961 he was again sent to Korea where he was Chief of the Air Operations Center.  Upon his return in 1962 he was stationed at Byrd Field, Richmond, VA where he was the United States Air Force Advisor to the Virginia Air National Guard.  He retired from the Air Force as a Lt Colonel in 1964.

After retirement he moved his family to San Antonia, Texas where he worked for Snelling and Snelling Employment Agency. 

In 1967, he joined the Federal Aviation Administration.  While with the FAA he was assigned to duty in Austin, Houston, and El Paso, Texas before being sent to New Orleans, LA.  After 4 years in New Orleans he was sent to Midland, Texas as the Manager of the Midland Flight Service Station.  He retired from the FAA in 1986.

In 1983 his wife, Carol, passed away.  He married Virginia M. Armstrong in 1984.  They moved to the Dallas, TX area after his retirement from the FAA.

Military Awards:

Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters

Air Medal with 18 clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal

Many campaign medals and citations with various Air Force units to include the French Croix-de-Guerre.

Sons of the American Revolution