Former CAP Member Donates to the Nellis Senior Squadron 20 Years after His Death
Former CAP Member Donates to the Nellis Senior Squadron 20 Years After His Death
By Lt Col Malcolm Arnot, Nellis Senior Squadron Deputy Commander
On Sunday, 12 January 2020, Lt Col Malcolm Arnot, Former Deputy Commander of the Nellis Senior Squadron, Nevada Wing, attended a donation luncheon at the Las Vegas Country Club, 3000 Joe W Brown drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 where, on behalf of the Nellis Senior Squadron, he was presented a donation certificate, from the Charles and Lenke N. Tarr Fund, in the amount of $445,398.00.
Captain Charles Tarr, Jr. joined the Nellis Senior Squadron in October 1988 and was a member until his death in December 1999. As a charter member of the Nellis Senior Squadron, he was an Emergency Services Officer, Mission Radio Operator, Mission Observer and Mission Scanner. He was a very active member regularly attending meetings, activities, training events and search and rescue operations.
Captain Tarr joined the Army in January 1943 and was assigned to the Army Air Force as a 2d Lt. and became a navigator and bombardier. He later was assigned to the 612th Bomb Squadron of the 401st Bomber Group at Deenethorpe Airfield, Northampton Shire, England in August 1944 flying in B-17G bombers. During his assignment to the 401st Bomb Group, he flew 42 combat missions against some the most heavily defended strategic German targets in Europe, such as: war material manufacturing factories and storage yards, military marshaling locations, oil refineries and storage facilities, submarine facilities, naval shipyards, airfields, and V1 and V2 rocket launch sites. For his gallantry as a B-17 aircrew member during those 42 combat missions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. After the war, he remained in Europe and participated in the Berlin Airlift and then returned to the United States to teach celestial air navigation at an Army Air Force Base in Texas. He was discharged in May 1950 as a 1st Lt.
Captain Tarr then joined the U.S. Air Force in March 1951. As a Captain, he was discharged from the U. S. Air Force in March 1953 and he and his wife, Lenke, moved to Las Vegas where he owned two small businesses, a scooter shop and a printing business.
Upon his death in December 1999, Captain Tarr stipulated that a fund be established with a good portion of the money he had earned from his two businesses; and, at the end of 20 years of investment, the money be distributed to the 17 nonprofit charities and organizations he was either a member of or admired for the work that they did to support and assist the community and people who were in need. The Nellis Senior Squadron was one of those organizations.
