Charley Harris Mayo was born August 26, 1919, the second son of William Louis Mayo (1891-1968) and Mattie Lenora Harris Mayo (1897-1982) of Greenville. On February 17, 1949, Mayo, age 29, became the second ECTC alumni to die in the armed services following WWII when he perished along with seven others following the crash of his Douglas C-47 military transport plane in the Andes mountains in northwestern Argentina.
After graduating from Greenville High School in 1936, Mayo studied at ECTC for two years before transferring to N.C. State College (now NCSU) and then graduating in 1941. Shortly after graduation and well before Pearl Harbor, Mayo enlisted in the Army Air Corp at Fort Bragg. He completed the Army Air Corps flight training at Brooks Field, Texas, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was later promoted to captain.
During WWII, Mayo served in the Pacific with the U. S. Fifth Air Force, 3rd Bombardment Group. He received a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service during the Battle of Bismarck Sea, March 2-4, 1943. During that battle, Mayo piloted a Douglas A-20 Havoc attack plane strafe-bombing eight Japanese naval vessels as well as transport and cargo ships carrying enemy troops to New Guinea. Mayo subsequently received a Silver Star (1943), a second Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster (1944) for his outstanding service as a pilot.
After WWII, Mayo was initially stationed in the U.S. and then later sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was attached to the U.S. embassy. Prior to the fatal crash enroute from Panama to Argentina, Mayo was awarded a green instrument card recognizing him as a senior pilot with over 2,000 flight hours in seven years of active service.
Mayo’s funeral was held in the Mayo family graveyard near Greenville, with full military honors presented by servicemen from Pope Field, Fort Bragg. His grave was later moved to Greenwood Cemetery on January 14, 1997.
Sources:
- “332 Candidates Receive Degrees at State College.” News and Observer. June 10, 1941. P. 12.
- Bush, Asahel. “North Carolinians Famed For War Record in Pacific: Scores of Tar Heel Fighters Have Been Decorated for Feats Against Japanese.” News and Observer. April 23, 1944. P. 12.
- “Capt. C. H. Mayo.” News and Observer. March 29, 1949. P. 5.
- “Charles Mayo.” Tecoan. 1937. Pp. 120-121. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15342
- “Charley Mayo.” 5th Air Force. https://www.5thaf.org/mayo-charley-m3385-3bg.cfm
- “Charley Mayo.” Green Lights. 1936. Unpaginated senior picture.
- “Get DFC’s.” News and Observer. June 23, 1943. P. 12.
- Kittrell, Bill. “279 Mayo Family.” Pitt County North Carolina Cemeteries.” Pitt County Historical Society. http://cemeterycensus.com/nc/pitt/cem279.htm
- “Rescue Party Reaches Scene Of Plane Crash.” New Castle News. February 19, 1949. P. 8.
- “Win Air Corps Wings.” News and Observer. January 13, 1942. P. 8.
Related Materials
Charley Harris Mayo. Image Source: East Carolina Yearbooks, Tecoan, 1938. UA50-01. University Archives, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
Charley Harris Mayo. Image Source: News and Observer. January 13, 1942. P. 8.
Charley Harris Mayo’s Draft Registration Card. Image Source: U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Ancestry.com
Charley Harris Mayo (far left) and crew standing in front of Douglas A-20 plane. Image Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96214863/charley-harris-mayo
U.S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970. Provided in association with National Archives and Records Administration from Ancestry.com
Citation Information
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 6/14/2022