A Flyer's "Dash", An Autobiography by Commander James W. Kissick, Jr.

This book, presented in the 3rd person, represents the factual documentation of a Florida farm boy who graduated from high school in June, 1942, and, almost immediately, entered the United States Navy. Soon he lost his innocence to aviation in the rear seat of a dive-bomber. He saw service, also as a radioman gunner in torpedo bombers, before seeing WWII combat in, again, dive-bombers. Receiving an accredited Bachelor of Science in aviation in 2 1/2 years, he accepted a regular USN Commission, was sent through flight training, and became a pilot. His total military service included deployments on some 19 aircraft carriers. He achieved distinction of becoming one of the very few pilots quadruple-qualified, having returned to dive bombers, flown many other propeller aircraft, all early jet fighters, airship commander of a blimp, and 5 1/2 years in antisubmarine helicopters. He, also was bridge-qualified on carriers at Fleet Level. However, this document is not simply the summary of the above. It is the history of an aviator, to whom, seemingly everywhere he served, the unusual events seemed to happen.