[PDF] Flying Among Heroes eBook

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : The History Press
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 42,22 MB
Release : 2012-05-01
Category : Transportation
ISBN : 0752486497

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T.S.C. Cooke joined the RAF as war began in 1939, aged 18, and trained to be a bomber pilot. Rising to the rank of squadron leader and decorated three times, Cooke bombed Berlin on 7 October 1940 in a Whitley Mk V, nearly ditching in the North Sea. Throughout this tour he faced the usual dangers of wartime aircrew, his aircraft being hit by AA fire on several occasions, once almost having to order his aircrew to bail out but landed safely at the last minute. They were also attacked by night fighters, encountered icing and even shot up a train and bomber station at tree-top level.Flying Wellingtons and Stirlings, Cooke took part in the infamous 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne and Essen, before returning to operations flying Special Ops Halifax aircraft, dropping agents into enemy-occupied France. After a dozen missions, he was shot down but he and his navigator survived and evaded capture. Helped by the French resistance, they got into Spain and returned home via Gibraltar. Both men received the DFC for their bravery. While their story is not totally unique, their adventures and courage make this tale akin to an adventure novel.

Author : Norman Franks
Publisher : The History Press
Page : 198 pages
File Size : 10,78 MB
Release : 2012-05-01
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0752486497

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Following the extraordinary career of a Second World War bomber pilot, Flying Among Heroes brings together adventure and human daring with the harsh realities of being a member of the wartime Royal Air Force. Tom Cooke, like hundreds of other young men in 1939, joined up to the RAF just a few days before war began aged 18, being selected for pilot training. Just five years later, he had flown fifty-one operations, taken part in the Berlin bombings and three 1,000-bomber raids, and had even taken part in special operations in conjunction with the SOE. Not only did Cooke volunteer for an optional second and third tour of operations, but he was also shot down over France on his thirteenth special operation, survived the bale out with his crew and evaded capture. Helped by the French Resistance, he managed to make his way into Spain and was taken back to England from Gibraltar. Unsurprisingly, considering Cooke's outstanding bravery and patriotism, he was decorated multiple times in his career. Franks and Muggleton make use of primary documentation, including Cooke's own words, and contemporary images to put together a poignant story of wartime duty. In an effort to portray the situation for many young men like Cooke, much information is included on other squadrons and operations, as well as on Bomber Command itself. In all, 55,000 men of Bomber Command gave their lives to the cause of the Second World War; this is the tale of just one of those remarkable young men who survived the hardships of war, returning victorious to a nation of heroes.

Author : Brandon Webb
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 32,14 MB
Release : 2016-05-10
Category : History
ISBN : 0451475631

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Navy SEAL sniper and New York Times bestselling author Brandon Webb’s personal account of eight of his friends and fellow SEALs who made the ultimate sacrifice. “Knowing these great men—who they were, how they lived, and what they stood for—has changed my life. We can’t let them be forgotten. We’ve mourned their deaths. Let’s celebrate their lives.”—Brandon Webb As a Navy SEAL, Brandon Webb rose to the top of the world’s most elite sniper corps, experiencing years of punishing training and combat missions from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan. Along the way, Webb served beside, trained, and supported men he came to know not just as fellow warriors, but as friends and, eventually, as heroes. This is his personal account of eight extraordinary SEALs who gave all for their comrades and their country with remarkable valor and abiding humanity: Matt “Axe” Axelson, who perished on Afghanistan’s Lone Survivor mission; Chris Campbell, Heath Robinson, and JT Tumilson, who were among the casualties of Extortion 17; Glen Doherty, Webb’s best friend, killed while helping secure the successful rescue and extraction of American CIA and State Department diplomats in Benghazi; and other close friends, classmates, and fellow warriors. These are men who left behind powerfully instructive examples of what it means to be alive—and what it truly means to be a hero. INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS

Author : Jon Barrett
Publisher :
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 46,71 MB
Release : 2002
Category : Gay heroes
ISBN : 9781555837808

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Bravery in the face of unimaginable terror prevented greater tragedy on September 11, 2001 when a group of passengers overpowered the hijackers of American Airlines flight 93. One of these passengers was Mark Bingham, a fun-loving, gregarious gay man, named Person of the Year by The Advocate. Timed for release on the one year anniversary of 9/11, this is the story of one man's determination to never take second place, and a picture of heroism that knows no sexuality, told through a series of interviews with Mark's family, friends, lovers and associates.

Author : Richard Peck
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 18,37 MB
Release : 2008-10-16
Category : Juvenile Fiction
ISBN : 1440652570

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Davy Bowman’s dad looks forward to Halloween more than a kid, and Davy’s brother, Bill, flies B-17s. Davy adores these two heroes and tries his best to follow their lead, especially now. World War II has invaded Davy’s homefront boyhood. Bill has joined up, breaking their dad’s heart. It’s an intense, confusing time, and one that will spur Davy to grow up in a hurry. This is one of Richard Peck’s finest novels—a tender, unforgettable portrait of the World War II home front and a family’s enduring love.

Author : Philip Brinson
Publisher : Lulu.com
Page : 448 pages
File Size : 16,95 MB
Release : 2012-01-10
Category : History
ISBN : 1105438805

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Formed just two months after Pearl Harbor and rushed to the Pacific by General MacArthur, the 317th Troop Carrier Group entered combat at Wau, New Guinea just one week after landing in Australia. For over two and a half years the men of the 317th flew their unarmed transports over enemy-held territory while living in the hot, humid, disease-infested jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines; many times subjected to Japanese bombings and ground attacks. Their reputation of getting the job done at all costs resulted in the Group being chosen by the 5th AF's General Kenney as the Troop Carrier Group to drop paratroopers in the SWPA; participating in all five major parachute drops in the Pacific: Nadzab, Noemfoor, Tagaytay Ridge, Corregidor and Aparri. These stories, told by the men themselves, chronicle the actions of both the air crews and the often forgotten men on the ground; during and immediately following the war in the Pacific.

Author : William F. Trimble
Publisher : US Naval Institute Press
Page : 328 pages
File Size : 49,18 MB
Release : 2010
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN :

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In this biography, William F. Trimble examines the pioneering work of Glenn Curtiss, a key figure in the development of the airplane during the early part of the century. This book's careful examination of his partnership with the Navy breaks new ground in revealing significant new details of his contributions. Curtiss helped meet the special requirements of the service for aircraft, particularly those with the potential for operating with naval vessels at sea or in conducting long-distance flights over water. He also was instrumental in training the first naval aviators. Curtiss and the Navy continued their collaboration through World War I, reaching a climax in 1919 with the first transatlantic flight of the famed Navy-Curtiss NC flying boat. This book addresses the broader implications of the Curtiss-Navy collaboration in the context of the longstanding trend of government-private cooperation in the introduction and development of new technologies. It also helps lay to rest the persistent myth that the Navy resisted the introduction of aviation.

Author : Dan Green
Publisher : B.E.S. Publishing
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 32,88 MB
Release : 2019-03
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 9781438011981

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Learn all about the pioneers of aviation in a graphic novel format! Here's the story of how flight developed from simple experiments with wings to the first airplanes, jet engines, helicopters, and more.

Author : Ian Darling
Publisher : Union Square + ORM
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 24,94 MB
Release : 2019-02-15
Category : History
ISBN : 1454936185

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A gripping collection of true stories that capture the bravery of American pilots who helped win WWII. American pilots fought fierce and often deadly battles in every theater of the Second World War, and many overcame incredible obstacles to survive. Meet some of these courageous aviators, including George McGovern, who survived enemy fire that left 110 holes in his aircraft; George H. W. Bush, shot down in the Pacific; Jim Landis, a naval flyer stationed in Pearl Harbor who returned fire even after sustaining a bullet through his hand; Alex Jefferson, a Tuskegee airman shot down over France and taken prisoner; and Betty Blake, one of the little-known women pilots who aided the war effort. Clifton Truman Daniel, a grandson of President Truman, provides the foreword to this collection of carefully researched and vividly told profiles in courage that will transport you to the bullet-ridden, bomb-laden skies of the early 1940s.

Author : Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson
Publisher : Xlibris Corporation
Page : 576 pages
File Size : 37,64 MB
Release : 2017-05-12
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 1524563420

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Bud Anderson is a flyers flyer. The Californians enduring love of flying began in the 1920s with the planes that flew over his fathers farm. In January 1942, he entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. Later after he received his wings and flew P-39s, he was chosen as one of the original flight leaders of the new 357th Fighter Group. Equipped with the new and deadly P-51 Mustang, the group shot down five enemy aircraft for each one it lost while escorting bombers to targets deep inside Germany. But the price was high. Half of its pilots were killed or imprisoned, including some of Buds closest friends. In February 1944, Bud Anderson, entered the uncertain, exhilarating, and deadly world of aerial combat. He flew two tours of combat against the Luftwaffe in less than a year. In battles sometimes involving hundreds of airplanes, he ranked among the groups leading aces with 16 aerial victories. He flew 116 missions in his old crow without ever being hit by enemy aircraft or turning back for any reason, despite one life or death confrontation after another. His friend Chuck Yeager, who flew with Anderson in the 357th, says, In an airplane, the guy was a mongoosethe best fighter pilot I ever saw. Buds years as a test pilot were at least as risky. In one bizarre experiment, he repeatedly linked up in midair with a B-29 bomber, wingtip to wingtip. In other tests, he flew a jet fighter that was launched and retrieved from a giant B-36 bomber. As in combat, he lost many friends flying tests such as these. Bud commanded a squadron of F-86 jet fighters in postwar Korea, and a wing of F-105s on Okinawa during the mid-1960s. In 1970 at age 48, he flew combat strikes as a wing commander against communist supply lines. To Fly and Fight is about flying, plain and simple: the joys and dangers and the very special skills it demands. Touching, thoughtful, and dead honest, it is the story of a boy who grew up living his dream.