This Braxton County native became a decorated pilot during World War II. He graduated from WVU and joined the Army Air Corps in 1941. During World War II, he flew 39 combat missions, including the major bombing raid over Schweinfurt, Germany, in 1943—known as "Black Thursday"—where his plane led the mission and survived enemy attacks.

He earned many medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Croix de Guerre. After the war, McLaughlin started the West Virginia Air National Guard and became its first commander. He served in the Korean War and rose to the rank of brigadier general.

He later served as a Kanawha County commissioner. In 2014, the Charleston Air National Guard Base was renamed in his honor.