Maj. John H. “Lucky” Luckadoo, World War II veteran and the final surviving pilot from the original cadre of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ 100th Bomb Group, died this week at age 103. A Chattanooga, Tennessee, native, Luckadoo joined the Army Air Forces at 19 and was assigned as co-pilot to Glenn Dye’s B-17 crew in the 351st Bomb Squadron. From Thorpe Abbotts, England, he flew 25 combat missions between June 1943 and February 1944, including the Bremen raid during “Black Week.”
“I looked death in the face — and survived,” Luckadoo said about the raids, according to the 100th Bomb Group Foundation.
Following his combat tour, Luckadoo served as operations officer for both the 351st and 350th Bomb Squadrons before returning home in 1944. He married his wife Barbara in 1946, and they had one daughter. In later years, he became a leading voice in preserving the history of the “Bloody Hundredth,” speaking at events and meeting with younger generations to share the realities of wartime service. In October 2023, Luckadoo made a final trip to England, laying a wreath at Thorpe Abbotts.
“I cannot possibly convey to you the feelings that I’m having, after being here 80 years ago on this day, at this spot,” he said at the time, as reported by the foundation.
Luckadoo also championed May 9 as “Home Front Heroes Day” to recognize the contributions of families and civilians who supported the war effort. His story was chronicled in the 2022 biography Damn Lucky: One Man’s Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History by author Kevin Maurer. The 100th Bomb Group Foundation, of which Luckadoo was an active member, is currently working with the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Savannah, Georgia, on a memorial project to honor the unit and its fallen.
“We are eternally grateful for all that John ‘Lucky’ Luckadoo did in support of the Hundredth,” the group said in a statement.
Blue skies and fair winds Lucky. Rest in God’s hands, knowing that you did our country proud. You will be missed.
Well done, good and faithful servant.