On Celestial Wings: Navigators of the First Global Air Force - First Army Air Corps Navigational Class, Clark Field Attack, Corregidor, B-29 Super Fortress, FDR Presidential Airplane, Bataan

Nonfiction, History, Military, Aviation, World War II
Cover of the book On Celestial Wings: Navigators of the First Global Air Force - First Army Air Corps Navigational Class, Clark Field Attack, Corregidor, B-29 Super Fortress, FDR Presidential Airplane, Bataan by Progressive Management, Progressive Management
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Progressive Management ISBN: 9781476429458
Publisher: Progressive Management Publication: June 20, 2012
Imprint: Smashwords Edition Language: English
Author: Progressive Management
ISBN: 9781476429458
Publisher: Progressive Management
Publication: June 20, 2012
Imprint: Smashwords Edition
Language: English

The first Army Air Corps navigational class at Miami University graduated in November 1940. In this book, Colonel Whitcomb follows these first celestial navigators through their World War II trials. Twenty-five personal stories paint the stories of these men as they fought—combining the ancient art of navigating by the stars with the equipment on their B-17s, became prisoners of war, lived through the Bataan Death March, escaped from Japanese captors, survived primitive conditions in the Philippines, died for their country, or later served the US as navigators on the aircraft of presidents and dignitaries.

In November 1940, 44 young military cadets graduated from the first Army Air Corps Navigational Class at Miami University in Coral Gables, Florida. The cadets came from all parts of the United States-from the urban areas of the East Coast, westward to the Appalachian Mountains, to the Midwest and prairie states, to the Rocky Mountains, and the West Coast. These young men came from the inner cities, the farmlands, the mountains, and coastal regions, and they were all volunteers. Most were college-educated and in the prime of life. World War II was raging in Europe and it was becoming increasingly difficult for the United States to remain neutral. A few farsighted men in our small Army Air Corps saw the essential requirement for trained celestial navigators in our military aircraft.

The instructor for this navigational class was a 34-year-old high school dropout by the name of Charles J. Lunn. Charlie Lunn had first learned the art of celestial navigation aboard freighter ships in the Caribbean and later as the navigator aboard Pan American Airline planes flying to Europe and Asia.

This book was written by one of those young navigators, Edgar D. Whitcomb, from Hayden, Indiana. Ed Whitcomb tells about these young comrades-in-arms and draws vivid word portraits of them as we learn of their assignments to Air Corps units. We learn how they survived and how some died in World War II. We learn about Ed's own pre-Pearl Harbor assignment with the 19th Bombardment Group at Clark Field in the Philippines and the unfortunate, and perhaps inexcusable, decision not to deploy our B-17 Flying Fortress bombers immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor resulting in the loss of 40 percent of those aircraft as they sat parked at Clark Field when the Japanese destroyed that vital military air base on the afternoon of 8 December 1941.

Contents * Foreword * Introduction * Chapter 1 * Navigators of the First Global Air Force * Chapter 2 * Prelude to War * Chapter 3 * Death on a Bright Sunday Morning * Chapter 4 * Attack on Clark Field * Chapter 5 * George Berkowitz * Chapter 6 * Harry Schreiber * Chapter 7 * William Meenagh * Chapter 8 * Regroup * Chapter 9 * Richard Wellington Cease * Chapter 10 * Paul E. Dawson * Chapter 11 * George Markovich * Chapter 12 * War Plan Orange III * Chapter 13 * Carl R. Wildner * Chapter 14 * Harry McCool * Chapter 15 * Merrill Kern Gordon, Jr. * Chapter 16 * Francis B. Rang * Chapter 17 * Corregidor * Chapter 18 * William Scott Warner * Chapter 19 * Jay M. Horowitz * Chapter 20 * The Super Fortresses * Chapter 21 * Boselli and the Sacred Cow * Chapter 22 * New Hope * Chapter 23 * Bataan to Santo Tomas * Chapter 24 * Deliverance * Chapter 25 * A Visit with Charlie

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The first Army Air Corps navigational class at Miami University graduated in November 1940. In this book, Colonel Whitcomb follows these first celestial navigators through their World War II trials. Twenty-five personal stories paint the stories of these men as they fought—combining the ancient art of navigating by the stars with the equipment on their B-17s, became prisoners of war, lived through the Bataan Death March, escaped from Japanese captors, survived primitive conditions in the Philippines, died for their country, or later served the US as navigators on the aircraft of presidents and dignitaries.

In November 1940, 44 young military cadets graduated from the first Army Air Corps Navigational Class at Miami University in Coral Gables, Florida. The cadets came from all parts of the United States-from the urban areas of the East Coast, westward to the Appalachian Mountains, to the Midwest and prairie states, to the Rocky Mountains, and the West Coast. These young men came from the inner cities, the farmlands, the mountains, and coastal regions, and they were all volunteers. Most were college-educated and in the prime of life. World War II was raging in Europe and it was becoming increasingly difficult for the United States to remain neutral. A few farsighted men in our small Army Air Corps saw the essential requirement for trained celestial navigators in our military aircraft.

The instructor for this navigational class was a 34-year-old high school dropout by the name of Charles J. Lunn. Charlie Lunn had first learned the art of celestial navigation aboard freighter ships in the Caribbean and later as the navigator aboard Pan American Airline planes flying to Europe and Asia.

This book was written by one of those young navigators, Edgar D. Whitcomb, from Hayden, Indiana. Ed Whitcomb tells about these young comrades-in-arms and draws vivid word portraits of them as we learn of their assignments to Air Corps units. We learn how they survived and how some died in World War II. We learn about Ed's own pre-Pearl Harbor assignment with the 19th Bombardment Group at Clark Field in the Philippines and the unfortunate, and perhaps inexcusable, decision not to deploy our B-17 Flying Fortress bombers immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor resulting in the loss of 40 percent of those aircraft as they sat parked at Clark Field when the Japanese destroyed that vital military air base on the afternoon of 8 December 1941.

Contents * Foreword * Introduction * Chapter 1 * Navigators of the First Global Air Force * Chapter 2 * Prelude to War * Chapter 3 * Death on a Bright Sunday Morning * Chapter 4 * Attack on Clark Field * Chapter 5 * George Berkowitz * Chapter 6 * Harry Schreiber * Chapter 7 * William Meenagh * Chapter 8 * Regroup * Chapter 9 * Richard Wellington Cease * Chapter 10 * Paul E. Dawson * Chapter 11 * George Markovich * Chapter 12 * War Plan Orange III * Chapter 13 * Carl R. Wildner * Chapter 14 * Harry McCool * Chapter 15 * Merrill Kern Gordon, Jr. * Chapter 16 * Francis B. Rang * Chapter 17 * Corregidor * Chapter 18 * William Scott Warner * Chapter 19 * Jay M. Horowitz * Chapter 20 * The Super Fortresses * Chapter 21 * Boselli and the Sacred Cow * Chapter 22 * New Hope * Chapter 23 * Bataan to Santo Tomas * Chapter 24 * Deliverance * Chapter 25 * A Visit with Charlie

More books from Progressive Management

Cover of the book Religious Roots: Moral Judgment in American Policy - Methods of Evaluating Policy Historically Scarce and Insufficient, Philosophical Roots, All Policy Is Faith-Based by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Eisenhower: Watershed at Leavenworth, the Command and General Staff School; Centennial Review and Bibliography, Ike's Drive, Individualism, and Sense of Purpose from World War II to the Presidency by Progressive Management
Cover of the book An Analysis of the FARC in Colombia: Breaking the Frame of FM 3-24 - From the Beginnings of the FARC to the Present, Guerrilla Insurgency, Doctrinal Gaps, Summary of Narrative and Strategy by Progressive Management
Cover of the book China and North Korea: The Leverage Dilemma - 2018 Study of Nuclear Weapons Buildup and History of Negotiations, Six-Party Talks and Multinational Efforts, Altering Behavior and Denuclearization by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century Understanding Cancer Toolkit: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), Unconventional Treatments, Herbs, Vitamins, Diets, Naturopathic Medicine, Ayurvedic, Homeopathy by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century U.S. Military Manuals: Mao Tse-tung on Guerrilla Warfare (Yu Chi Chan) U.S. Marine Corps Reference Publication FMFRP 12-18 (Value-Added Professional Format Series) by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Vanguard: A History (NASA Historical Series SP-4202) - Comprehensive Official History of America's First Satellite Program at the Start of the Space Race by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 2009-2047 U.S. Air Force Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and UAV Flight Plan - Current Program, Action Plan, Nano, Micro, Man-Portable, Air-Launched, Predator, Reaper, Global Hawk, Raven by Progressive Management
Cover of the book A History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323: U.S. Marine Corps History, World War II, Pacific Warfare, Combat Action in the Korean War, Intensive Involvement in Vietnam War by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century U.S. Military Documents: Air Force KC-10 Extender Aerial Refueling Tanker Aircraft - Operations Procedures, Aircrew Evaluation Criteria, Aircrew Training Flying Operations by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Joint Doctrine for Operations in Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Environments (Joint Publication 3-11) - Combat Operations, Health Service Support, Hazard Considerations by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Balancing on the Pivot: How China's Rise and Offshore Balancing Affect Japan's and India's Roles as Balancers in the Twenty-First Century - Military, Nuclear, Self-defense Forces, Pakistan Role by Progressive Management
Cover of the book U.S. Army Medical Correspondence Course: Food Deterioration - Detection, Major Causes, Meat, Seafood, Dairy Products, Eggs, Milk, Fruits and Vegetables, Health Hazards by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Delegitimizing al-Qaeda: A Jihad-Realist Approach - Salafist, Sharia, Takfir by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The Archer's Tale: An Examination of English Archers During the Hundred Years War and Their Impact on Warfare and Society - Medieval England's Use of Large Infantry Formations with Longbows by Progressive Management
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy