Both the tragedy and the triumph of the World War II air victory are captured in this gripping account of men and machines.
Close friends from Randolph Field Class 38-A re-live their experiences on the "Day of Infamy" at Pearl Harbor . . . on Doolittle's famed Tokyo Raid . . in the "Cactus Air Force" at Guadalcanal. . . challenging Luftwaffe fighters over North Africa. . . over Germany with bomber streams and fighter escorts numbering in the thousands...in German hospitals fighting for life and in German prison camps plotting escape . . .over Hiroshima, to drop the first atomic bomb.
This graphic account of raw emotion and violence may in places offend the reader of delicate sensibilities; but for those seeking to capture the temper and spirit of those tragic and triumphant times, TARGET LUFTWAFFE IS A "MUST READ."
The late Bill Ong draws upon his own rich aviation background to impart a strong sense of realism to this narrative. Following his first solo flight in 1927, Ong won recognition by barnstorming and air racing throughout the Midwest.
When World War II began, Ong, a Captain in the Army Air Corps Reserve, was operating flight schools at seven Kansas and Missouri locations under the Civilian Pilot Training Program. By war's end, his company had trained approximately 10,000 Army, Navy and Air Force students without a fatality.
In May 1975, Ong was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame at Hammondsport, New York as an outstanding aviation pioneer, statesman, and author.