Embry-Riddle at War: Aviation Training During World War II

"Effectively tells the story of a civilian company responsible for training foreign and domestic cadets, and their civilian relations within the larger context of World War II aviation history. . . . Argues that federal programs and the war formed Embry-Riddle into a premier wartime training enterprise."--Florida Historical Quarterly

"Sheds important light on a neglected but critically important aspect of the greatest air war in history."--Tom D. Crouch, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

"A tale of patriotic duty fulfilled, corporate ambition stimulated, and business challenges in the turmoil of the postwar years."--Donald J. Mrozek, Kansas State University

Key to the training of military pilots in World War II was the Miami-based Embry-Riddle Company, which cornered the professional aviation training market during the war years and became the standard for training pilots as well as instructors, mechanics, and aircraft factory workers.

Embry Riddle at War examines the many components of aeronautical training, the evolution of a civilian company contributing to the war effort, the experiences and lives of those who participated in the school, and the crucial role Florida played in the war.

           

Stephen Craft mines archival sources and the rich treasure trove of personal memories from the men who fought the greatest air war in history. Interviews with those who graduated from Embry-Riddle bring the story to life with rich and telling detail.

A volume in The Florida History and Culture Series, edited by Raymond Arsenault and Gary R. Mormino

Stephen G. Craft, associate professor of social science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is the author of V. K. Wellington Koo and the Emergence of Modern China.