Kathleen M Prince

An Unlikely Hero: Memoirs of a B-26 Radio Operator in Wwii Kathleen M Prince

Publisher Marketing: For as long as he could remember, George R. Moon wanted to fly. He joined the Army Air Force upon graduation from high school, and was so young that he needed his Mother's signature in order to be a pilot. She refused to give permission for him to fly as a pilot because she thought it was too dangerous, but that didn't stop George. He became a Radio Operator/Gunner instead. He was going to fly! George was a proud member of the renowned Air Force Marauder Group known as "Nye's Annihilators," an extremely proficient medium-level bombing group. They were equipped with the twin-engine Martin B-26 Marauder, sometimes dubbed the "Widow-maker." George loved that plane. Throughout the war, his love of flying never waned, whether dealing with temperatures of -70 below zero during flight, or when a short in the electrical system caused the pilot to receive a shock everytime he grabbed the stick. And that doesn't even count flying through FLAK so thick that you could have walked across it, and don't forget those oh so persistent enemy fighters. George faithfully wrote letters home, and these letters provide a glimpse of one American GI growing up and coping with the adversity and trials of war. He reveals himself as a down to earth patriot who volunteered for a very dangerous job; as his awards and decorations show, he excelled at it. Throughout the book, sidebars provide historical perspective, explaining matters referred to in the letters as well as what is going on in the war and at home. The sidebars add interest and tie in the history of the time with the personal experiences portrayed in the letters. Illustrated with more than 230 photographs, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in what life was like for our WWII veterans. Author Kathleen Prince is the niece of George R. Moon. She faithfully transcribed the correspondence and researched WWII history to produce a book about the life of one "Unlikely Hero."