Download or read book From Artillery to Air Corps The World War 2 Memoir of a Green Mountain Cannoneer Turned B 24 Radioman written by Paul Van Kavelaar and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2020-02-26 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The experiences of a young enlisted man in the Army 1936-45. The first half of the book covers the time period from 1936 through early 1944. As he describes his training, assignments and perceptions of various incidents, the reader sees how he was integrated into the military culture. The second half details his experiences as a prisoner of war after his B-24 Liberator was shot down over Germany. He was the plane's radio operator. He was a POW in four different camps from March 1944 through January 1945: Stalag Luft 8, Stalag Luft 4, Stalag Luft 17 and the POW camp at Moosberg. The book vividly depicts life at each of these sites and the transport from one to another. The book ends with the liberation by Patton's forces and the trip back to the United States. In addition to documents and news clippings there are some black and white pictures taken with a smuggled miniature camera of camp life and the camp's liberation. 55 photos, 5 news clippings, 3 documents.
Download or read book From Artillery to Air Corps written by Paul Van Kavelaar and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-02-10 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Merriam Press Military Monograph 81. Third Edition (February 2012). These are the experiences of a young enlisted man in the Army from 1936 through 1945. As a former military journalist, his writing style is quite descriptive. The first half of the book covers the time period from 1936 through early 1944. As he describes his training, assignments and perceptions of various incidents, the reader sees how he was integrated into the military culture. A number of anecdotes illustrate what the unwritten rules were at the time and the basis for some of the rhetoric then in use, e.g. terms such as "dogface" and "wolf." The second half of the book details his experiences as a prisoner of war after his B-24 Liberator was shot down over Germany. He was the plane's radio operator. He was a POW in four different camps from March 1944 through January 1945: Stalag Luft 8, Stalag Luft 4, Stalag Luft 17 and the POW camp at Moosberg. The book vividly depicts life at each of these sites and the transport from one to another. It includes numerous small details from these experiences such as the number of slats in the beds at the POW camps, the brands of cigarettes smoked, the fact that the time was denoted nautically, and so on. The book ends with the liberation by Patton's forces and the trip back to the United States. In addition to documents and news clippings there are some black and white pictures taken with a smuggled miniature camera of camp life and the camp's liberation. Contents: Dedication; Foreword; Chapter 1: Out of the Depression; Chapter 2: The Green Mountain Boys; Chapter 3: French .75s and Colt .45s; Chapter 4: Feeding the Hungry; Chapter 5: Backyard Soldiers; Chapter 6: Angel Island: Poison Welcome; Chapter 7: Problems in the Paradise of the Pacific; Chapter 8: The Word Has It That ...; Chapter 9: Impressive Army Maneuvers; Chapter 10: The Andrew Jackson; Chapter 11: The North Atlantic; Chapter 12: With the RAF; Chapter 13: Pine Tree; Chapter 14: The Pall Descends; Chapter 15: Calling "Darkie"; Chapter 16: All Kinds of Bugs; Chapter 17: Heidekrug Vacation; Chapter 18: The Red Cross and the Grey Wolves; Chapter 19: Night Lights and Night Lice; Chapter 20: The Battle Four; Chapter 21: Free at Last; Photographs and Documents; 55 B&W photos; 5 news clippings; 3 documents.
Download or read book From Artillery to Air Corps The World War II Memoir of a Green Mountain Cannone written by Paul F. Van Kavelaar and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Off I Went Into the Wild Blue Yonder written by John James Knudsen and published by Pelican Publishing. This book was released on 2010-09-23 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One Army Air Corps soldier's ordeals during World War II. Written in the personable voice of someone reflecting honestly on his life's journey, this autobiography is full of anecdotes of a Depression-era Montana boyhood and culminates with the author's training for service as a B-17 pilot and subsequent role as a flight instructor.
Download or read book A Dangerous Assignment An Artillery Forward Observer In World War 2 written by William B. Hanford and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2020-02-04 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Merriam Press World War 2 Memoir. Corporal Bill Hanford had one of the US Army's most dangerous jobs in World War II: artillery forward observer (FO). Tasked with calling in heavy fire on the enemy, FOs accompanied infantrymen into combat, crawled into no-man's-land, and ascended observation posts like hills and ridges to find their targets. But beyond the usual perils of ground combat, FOs were specially targeted by the enemy because of their crucial role in directing artillery fire. Hanford spent much of his time fighting in the Vosges Mountains in eastern France and then in Germany in late 1944/early 1945. Rare memoir of a risky job performed by relatively few troops. Honest and observant narrative describes the good, bad, and ugly of the war. Originally published by Stackpole Books in 2008 and discontinued in 2015, this brand new edition from Merriam Press has a completely revised and improved design with additional photos. 23 photos.
Download or read book Artilleryman written by John T. Varano and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2010-07-13 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My story covers almost three years of my life when I was an artilleryman in the European Theater. The news of the day was so important and ghastly, so far-reaching and complex, so uncommon and courageous, that there can never be enough history books written to describe and explain the events of WWII. This is a personal history, however, and I was a young soldier, one who wrote letters and kept journals and planned to write about it. But then, after the war, it became too difficult, and I rarely even spoke of it. Half a century later, as a father, husband, and grandfather, I finally retired from running my own business, and realized now I had the time and must use it. With books, maps, and random notes scattered around me, I proved to be a most disorganized writer. One evening, in the midst of the media coverage of the 50th Anniversary of World War II, my daughter, Norma, called me. She was crying. She had just watched a television documentary about the war and it included footage of my Division, the 90th Infantry, Pattons Third Army.
Download or read book Grasshopper Pilot written by Julian William Cummings and published by Kent State University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During World War II the ability of American ground forces to advance in the face of fierce resistance was largely dependent on the precision of artillery barrages. Aerial observation was frequently the only effective means to locate enemy targets. For this mission the Army air corps used prewar light civilian airplanes (usually reconfigured Piper Cubs) known as Grasshoppers for their ability to take off from and land in tight places like dirt roads, grass fields, and ships. In addition to pinpointing enemy artillery, these aircraft were often assigned other missions - medical evacuations, reporting on enemy troop movements, and reconnaissance - often armed only with handguns. Julian W. Cummings began flying lightweight Piper Cubs as a young man and was recruited for the experimental and high-risk aerial reconnaissance unit of the U.S. Army's Third Infantry Division. In this memoir he chronicles his daring missions from first flights in the North African campaign through the end of the war. He flew 485 missions in both theaters, and for his extraordinary bravery in Sicily he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. these courageous men played in combat and adds valuable information to an understudied dimension of the war.
Download or read book Radioman for the Artillery written by Lawrence Worth Hatch and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Flying Without Wings written by Sallie Guy and published by Dog Ear Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the extraordinary story of a poor Tennessee farm boy growing up during the depression of the 1930's who longed to be a pilot. His dream was realized when he enlisted in January 1941 as an aviation cadet and, despite being terminated from the basic training program in a disciplinary action, he ended up as a liaison pilot instead as a "flying sergeant." In New Guinea he flew observation in an unarmed piper cub for the 218th heavy Field Artillery Battalion, earning the Silver Star, the Soldier's Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and promotion to second Lieutenant. With the ingenious help of his flight surgeon friend, he was transferred to the 43rd Bombardment Group, the 65th Bombardment Squadron of the Fifth Air Force. He flew 32 missions in B-24 four engine bombers without regular pilot's wings, a feat unequaled in World War II. When Lieutenant Guy was sent home with injuries in December 1944, his superior officers in New Guinea notified Lieutenant General Henry (Hap) Arnold, Commandant of the United States Air Force, about his remarkable story. General Arnold summoned Guy to the Pentagon to have his wings pinned on him by an aide. Guy stayed in the US Air Force for a total of 26 1/2 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, with chief command pilot's wings. Throughout his career he "bucked the system," defying colonels and generals when he thought he was right, and they were wrong. I have told his story from boyhood to retirement, recounting experiences that appear unbelievable. With World War II veterans dying by the thousands on a daily basis, I felt it was important to tell my husband's unique story while he is still alive, depending upon taped interviews, personal recollections, and his official military records. Dr. Milton Gusack, a flight surgeon with the 43rd Bomb Group, commented: "I loved the book. It is classic Kelly, showing he was a combination of guts, capability, loyalty and stubbornness. This story is a truthful revelation about warfare and how the American spirit was able to survive the most horrible experiences and still maintain a sense of humor." Dr. Ken Wolf, Murray State University history professor said: "Kelly made me think of Forest Gump: Placed in unusual situations, he was unphased by meeting celebrities and persisted in achieving the impossible." Even back in 1958, a writer for the Olmsted AFB newsletter in Pennsylvania wrote a feature about Kelly in the war. Hal L. Eustace, chief of Advertising and Publicity, sent a copy of the story to Tinker AFB where Kelly had been stationed, with a letter stating: "This is one of the most unusual stories that I ever ran across in the service."
Download or read book Blue Skies and Thunder written by Virgil W. Westdale and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2009-12 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1942, Virgil Westdale was a successful young flight instructor when the government ousted him from the Air Corps and demoted him to army private. Having grown up as a Japanese American midwestern farm boy, Westdale had his first taste of Japanese culture when he was sent to train with the all Japanese American unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He was ultimately transferred to the 522nd Artillery Battalion, where, as a member of the Fire Direction Center, he helped push the Germans out of Italy, rescue the Lost Battalion in France, and free prisoners from Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany. After the war, Westdale went on to pursue a career in research and development with large corporations. He received twenty-five U.S. patents and earned an international award for his work with photocopier components. In retirement, he has been working for the TSA, returning to the worlds of aviation and national security. Written for the lay reader as well as the history buff, Westdale's stories of World War II challenge preconceived notions of what we think we know about a soldier's life in Europe and offer images that go beyond the history books. ---"Spanning over ninety years, Virgil's amazing and complex life story vividly reflects America's history from the early 1900s to our current fight against terrorism. His book reads if he were sitting before me casually sharing his life. A highlight of my career both as an Army officer and a Federal Civil Servant has been the honor of working with and getting to know Virgil Westdale, a great American. This is a truly fascinating and memorable autobiography." John H. Mumma, Colonel, US Army Retired Federal Security Director, Transportation Security Administration ---"Virgil Westdale's Blue Skies and Thunder tells a story that is both unique in American history and uniquely American. After growing up as a Midwestern farm boy whose Japanese father had largely assimilated into the local community, he found himself after Pearl Harbor viewed with suspicion by the very government he wanted to serve in the Second World War. Denied a chance to serve as a military pilot, or even as a pilot trainer, he eventually found his way into a newly created Japanese American artillery unit and served with distinction in Italy, France and Germany. Back in the United States, he completed college and made a career for himself as an engineer with multiple patents to his credit, and eventually served his country a second time, as an airport security officer. His account is highly readable and offers insights into a wide range of aspects of both his own life and the world around him." Dr. James Smither, Director Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project
Download or read book On Time on Target written by John D. McKenzie and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This World War II memoir follows McKenzie's transformation from a green recruit into a hardened combat veteran after joining the 82nd Airborne as a field artillery paratrooper. The retired chemical engineer looks back on his involvement in two months of continuous frontline combat. 5 maps. 24 photos.
Download or read book They Never Saw Me Then written by Richard H. Timberlake Jr. and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2002-03-28 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the story of my flying experiences during World War II. It covers primarily the period from February 1943 to April 1945. At the beginning I explain why and how I got into the Army Air Corps, as it was then called, and at the end I include an account of my partial convalescence in a U.S. Army hospital in England. Otherwise, I stick closely to my actual flying experiences and the events of that era. I omit all but a trivial amount of personal experiences outside of flying. I have compiled this account from several sources: (1) my memory and my official flight record; (2) the letters I wrote to my immediate family while I was in the Air Corps, which I repossessed after my parents died; (3) official Eighth Air Force records of bombing missions; (4) accounts written by former crew members, Larry Locker, John R. Wingfield, and Fred Stoker; and (5) the book, The 388th at War, by Edward Huntzinger. During the war, I had a diary in which I kept brief accounts of day-to-day events. However, some eager lackey, who must have known that diaries were officially forbidden, removed it from my belongings in March 1945 when he transferred them from my bomber unit to the Army hospital where I was convalescing. Fortunately, I could verify the dates and events that I include in this account by means of these other sources. Long ago, I determined to write this chronicle if I survived my combat tour. I felt that it would be the least I could do for those who will never grow old and can never speak for themselves. I do not pretend to speak for them. Nevertheless, if my account is only one among many that bears witness to the trauma and agony of politically organized human conflict, it will have served its purpose. The title I have chosen derives from the common thought many of us have when we are suddenly enveloped in Big Events, such as, for example, World War II. "Boy, if they could see me now," we think, as we imagine all the people--family, friends, and "enemies"--who might gasp in awe and admiration at our exploits. But . . .They Never Saw Me Then. Since "they" did not see me then, I decided to tell this story myself. I was a young man--a boy, really, 21-22 years old--during 1943 and 1944. I was one among millions of young men fighting millions of other young men, all of whom might have been friends if not for the circumstances of time and place in which they happened to live. All my fellow airmen and I knew that Hitler and his henchmen were atrocious and loathsome examples of the human race. Yet, any U.S. soldier or airman, who thought even briefly about his job of trying to kill and destroy "the enemy," knew that he was not within range of damaging Hitler and other Nazi leaders. We could not reach their personal environments or influence their decisions; our activities were many magnitudes removed from hurting them. We could only chip away at the peripheries of their domain and hope that our efforts would destroy their capability to continue. To do so, we had to try and kill our enemy counterparts with whom we had no personal quarrel at all. We aimed our bombs at their strategic war-making industries and infrastructure, but in the process we knew we could not avoid hitting churches, schools, and innocent people. Many of us thought that a better way must exist. Fifty-six years later, I still think so. The first section of this book describes my experiences as an aviation cadet. I began flying in August 1943, and advanced through the three phases of the Air Corps flight instruction program--Primary, Basic, and Advanced. I received my silver Pilot Wings in February 1944, which meant I was in the pilot class of 44-B. Air Corps orders then assigned me to the role of copilot on a B-17. I was placed on a crew for operational training at Drew Field near Tampa, Florida. Upon completion of that training, my crew and I were shipped to Sco
Download or read book There I Was written by Robert S. Crouse and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2010-10 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When five-year-old Robert Crouse saw a 1910 Curtis pusher biplane fly over his hometown in Tennessee, he was immediately mesmerized. After he watched the plane gently land behind the trees a short distance from his house, he informed anyone who would listen that one day he would fly a plane just like that one. In his memoir There I Was ..., Crouse chronicles how his fascination with airplanes grew throughout his childhood and eventually led him on an unforgettable journey as a young airman during World War II. When Crouse was a seventeen-year-old high school senior, the United States became firmly embroiled in World War II. Although he was too young and suffered from a congenital heart condition, Crouse could hardly wait to get into uniform. As Crouse recounts the details of how he was eventually drafted in 1943 despite his medical challenges and later flew thirty-one missions in B-25s, he provides a real-life glimpse into what it was like for thousands of young men to serve their country in perilous times. There I Was ... couples historical photographs with personal anecdotes and provides a captivating narrative sure to entertain World War II and airplane buffs alike.
Download or read book The Army Air Corps written by Colonel W. G. Bonvouloir and published by . This book was released on 2019-04-17 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: W. G. Bonvouloir received greetings from the government in August 1941. He said to his wife, Nancy, "Don't worry. I'm thirty-six, married with three children, and I'm overweight. They won't take me." Surprise! They have raised the weight limit for thirty-six year olds. "You're in. Congratulations, Captain." So begins the saga of his WWII experience. He always maintained that "Those who stand and wait also serve." This exemplified our mom. She stood and waited and raised three young girls, served with the GI Joe wives and kept the home fires burning. Dad wasn't present physically, but he was always there. Mom made sure we knew that.
Download or read book Killed In Action The Story of Robert Holly written by David Kohler and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2017-11-08 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Merriam Press World War 2 Biography. Like millions of young men, Robert Holly went away to war and was lost, never to be found. This is the story of a young American airman whose life was tragically ended on June 20, 1944 when the B-24 Liberator of which he was a crew member, collided with another and crashed into the sea near Kiel, Germany. Staff Sgt. Holly was a tail gunner serving with the 389th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, based at Hethel, Norfolk, during World War II. Only the pilot and co-pilot survived the crash. All the remaining 8 crew members, including Robert, were killed in the crash, and are commemorated on the Wall of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley. This is the compelling story of his short life and tragic death as seen through his own eyes, and the eyes of others close to him, told through their letters, and detailed in numerous documents. This book is a memorial, not only to Holly, but to the millions of others who were killed and disappeared without a trace.
Download or read book Waist Gunner written by William Davis Parker and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tells the story of William Davis Parker, a Radio Operator/Waist-Gunner on a B-24 heavy bomber in World War II. Stationed in the Southwest Pacific, his story is told through an almost day to day diary that he kept in the period March 1943 to February 1945. The early pages in the diary sketch in some detail the training phase during which Parker evolved from a young cadet in pilot training to a disciplined and skilled Radio Operator/Gunner. Here we experience with Parker his daily frustrations and disappointments, his ups and downs, the environment in which this training took place -- as well as the few simple pleasures that airmen-trainees enjoyed in the early 1940s. The major portion of the diary is devoted to a nine-month period from May 1944 to February 1945. In that time span, Parker was assigned to a B-24 crew in the 394th Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group, in the 13th Air Force. He was stationed at various times throughout the Southwest Pacific. His combat missions were flown from such places as Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands, Wakde and Noemfoor in New Guinea, and Morotai in the Netherlands East Indies. Targets bombed included such Japanese airfields and installations as those on Truk, Yap, Woleai, and others in New Guinea, Borneo and the Philippines. Waste Gunner also includes three papers by Ulmer, which flush out some of the stories in Parker's diary. " The Cisco Kid in World War II" focuses on one 5th Group B-24, the crew that flew it overseas, and the adventures of that crew during their combat tour. This paper provides a detailed understanding of the conditions of life in the Pacific during World War II. But it also reveals the spirit of airmen under very harsh conditions--a spirit that never wavered and had much to do with the success of our forces in that theater of war. The second paper, "A Tough Month for the 5th Group, November, 1944" briefly summarizes all the missions flown by the 5th group in November but focuses specifically on two that Ulmer flew, one on November 7th and one on November 16th. Parker also flew the November 7th strike. This paper provides considerable detail on that mission from official Mission Reports that were not available to Parker as he composed his diary. The third paper,"Balikpapan, The 5th Group's Shining Hour", is devoted to a single mission, one flown against Japanese oil refineries at Balikpapan, Borneo on September 30,1944. That strike is generally viewed as the most important mission flown by the 5th Group during World War II.It significantly reduced the ability of the Japanese to produce refined petroleum products for use in their Philippines campaign. It is thought to have saved many lives later and was of great assistance to MacArthur in his campaign to recapture the Philippines. Parker flew this mission but in his diary, he does not adequately describe the mission and its consequences for his crew. The deficiency may be due to the fact that returning from the target his plane crash-landed on an island 400 miles from base, earning him a purple heart and delaying his return for a week. The Balikpapan paper provides many more details about the planning and execution of this mission. A strong feature of the diary is the detailed account Parker gives for each of the 28 missions he flew during his combat period. These accounts provide an excellent picture of just what was taking place in Parker's plane while subject to intense flak and Japanese fighter attack. He tells us about the fear, joy, hubris, and other characteristics of the men in his crew (and other crews) under combat conditions. He also keeps us well-informed about life on the ground -- the frequent Japanese bombing raids on his bases, how air crewmen spent their time when not on a mission, and the interaction of
Download or read book Liberando Reflections of a Reluctant Warrior written by John E. Horn and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2019-06-21 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Merriam Press World War 2 Memoir Series. John H. Horn's wartime experiences as a B-24 pilot in the famous "Liberandos" bomb group, the 376th, are recounted in this work by his son, John E. Horn. Horn was one of millions in World War II who did their jobs. He was mighty lucky and blessed to have come home unscathed. Most of the real learning about air combat was on the job. Military schools and training don't really produce combat-ready men and women. They produce attitudes as well as thinking and re-acting skills. Actual combat is the real teacher. John was forever grateful to his crew and the leaders of the 376th Bomb Group who suffered his inexperience and naiveté. Without their patience, he would not have developed into a competent, safe, and living combat pilot. 31 photos, illustrations, maps.
