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by James Blackwell (Author)
"...a riveting story of the mid-20th century bomber era and those that performed the mission."
- General Norton A., "Norty" Schwartz, USAF, Retired, former Chief of Staff, United State Air Force
You don't know much about the Korean War. You know even less about the air war over Korea. You know nothing about the B-29 in the Korean War. And what you've been told is mostly wrong. The truth has been buried for years. This book tells it straight - no spin.
Gunners! B-29 Gunners in the Korean War, gives voice to ten ordinary men who rose to extraordinary accomplishments, then came home to lead ordinary lives. Time is catching up with the 'Silent Generation." Now in their 90s, these veterans carry the final echoes of a defining chapter in history. This powerful collection offers a rare, intimate look before their stories fade from living memory.
Their journey did not end in the skies over the Korean peninsula. These Veterans, their families and friends, still carry invisible burdens, unseen wounds that linger long after the uniform is folded away. America needs their quiet strength now more than ever - a reminder that discipline, determination, and devotion still matter.
Most books wrongly tell you that the B-29 was outclassed, obsolete, and irrelevant to the ground war. Popular accounts label the B-29 record as "Black Thursday," "Black Tuesday," "Driven from the Skies," and other such misguided interpretations. Few tell of how the Air Force continuously adapted aerial warfare technology, tactics, techniques and procedures to achieve command of the skies. None capture the essence of these resilient men who were born and raised in the era of bread lines, blackouts, ration books and radio static.
Gunners! authoritatively documents their inspirational war stories with:
- Official data showing that B-29 gunners destroyed 1-1/2 times more MiG-15s than did communist fighter jets over US bombers.
- A plain language description of the complex remote control turret system that employed the first electronic computers used in combat.
- How Air Force Prisoners of War outsmarted their captors despite communist torture, starvation and indoctrination.
- Why B-29 crews loved running low on fuel after a mission and had to fuel up in Japan enroute to home base on Okinawa. The mess halls at US Air Bases in Japan served fresh eggs rather than the canned powdered eggs that were standard fare at Kadena.
