Gen Godfrey McHugh WWII Flight Book Signed 47 Times, President JFK Military Aide

Title:
WWII-Era Flight Logbook of Brigadier General Godfrey T. McHugh, Military Aide to President Kennedy – Over 90 Pages in His Hand with Key Wartime Flights, Signed 47 Times

Description:
Offered here is an exceptional and historically rich World War II-dated personal flight logbook belonging to Brigadier General Godfrey T. McHugh (1911–1997), who would later serve as military aide to President John F. Kennedy. Measuring 7.5 x 4.5 inches, this brown leather-bound "Flight Log" spans from September 15, 1941, to December 31, 1944, and features over 90 pages completed entirely in McHugh’s hand, chronicling his transformation from civilian pilot to commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces.

McHugh signed the logbook 47 times, with three autographs appearing on the Identification page and the rest verifying his entries throughout the log. The book includes two original affixed photographs: a civilian portrait from 1940 and a wartime photo from 1944, both annotated. Another powerful wartime photo, mounted to the inside front cover, is captioned in McHugh’s hand: “23 July 1944, Normandy, France”, placing him in the European Theater shortly after D-Day.

The pages capture a vivid record of his flight activity, with aircraft models including Aeronca, Fairchild, Cessna, Lockheed, and Consolidated bombers, and flight paths crossing North and South America, Europe, and Africa. Noteworthy entries include:

• December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day): McHugh dramatically wrote “WAR” in red pencil across the flight log, marking the seismic shift in U.S. military engagement.

• October 27, 1942: “Passed C.A.A. 2TO H.P. Flight Test” – documenting his technical certification.

• November 11, 1942: “Local Army Flight Test, Passed on Thanksgiving Day Army Flight Test for Service Pilot Rating.”

Additional entries from June–July 1944 detail his wartime missions across the globe, including flights from Brazil to Dakar, Morocco, Casablanca, and Gibraltar, reinforcing his active involvement in the Allied air campaigns across multiple continents.

Historical Context:
Godfrey T. McHugh was a decorated U.S. Air Force officer who became intimately tied to presidential history as John F. Kennedy’s military aide, accompanying him on numerous trips and famously aboard Air Force One on the day of the assassination in Dallas. Before his White House service, McHugh built his military reputation as a skilled and trusted pilot during World War II, commissioned as a captain in January 1942, just weeks after the U.S. entered the war.

This logbook serves not only as a record of his personal aviation achievements but also as a first-person account of America’s rapid mobilization and global air operations during the Second World War. McHugh’s trajectory from civilian pilot to decorated officer mirrors the experience of many wartime servicemen, and his later proximity to presidential history only deepens the significance of this artifact.

Authentication & Encapsulation:
This flight logbook is a fully original wartime artifact, entirely handwritten and signed by McHugh on dozens of occasions. It is not slabbed or third-party authenticated, but its consistency, scope, and provenance (ex. RR) are self-evident through internal photographs, inscriptions, and matching signature samples.

Closing Appeal:
An extraordinary piece of military and presidential history, this personal flight logbook offers collectors an authentic window into the global aerial operations of World War II and the early military career of one of President Kennedy’s closest aides. Rich with handwritten detail, signed throughout, and accompanied by wartime photos, it stands as a rare and deeply human artifact of duty, history, and legacy.