Aces High : The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-Scoring American Aces of World War II

by Yenne, Bill

• ISBN13: 9780425232309
• ISBN10: 0425232301
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-02
• Publisher: Penguin Group USA

Summary

They were two of the greatest heroes of World War II. But only one could be top gun... Capturing the hearts of a beleaguered nation, the fighter pilots of World War II engaged in a kind of battle that became the stuff of legend-and those who survived showdowns earned the right to be called aces. But two men in particular rose to become something more. They became icons of aerial combat, in a heroic rivalry that inspired a weary nation to fight on. Richard "Dick" Bong was the bashful, pink-faced farm boy from the Midwest. Thomas "Tommy" McGuire was the wise-cracking, fast-talking kid from New Jersey. What they shared was an unparalleled gallantry under fire which earned them each the Medal of Honor. What separated them was a closely watched rivalry to see who would emerge as the top-scoring American ace of the war. What they left behind is a legacy and a record of aerial victories that has yet to be surpassed anywhere in the world.

Author Biography

Bill Yenne is a book packager and author who has published dozens of military fiction, non-fiction, and coffee table art books. He lives and works in San Francisco, California.

Table of Contents

Notes on Squadron Nomenclature and Organization	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Prologue: Knights of the Air	p. 1
Boys	p. 9
The Roaring Twenties and the Lone Eagle	p. 11
Changes and Challenges	p. 20
A World Goes to War	p. 27
Americans Prepare	p. 33
Young Men and War	p. 44
The Daring Young Lieutenants and Their Flying Machines	p. 52
Their Warhorse, Their Fork-Tailed Devil	p. 60
Ups and Downs	p. 67
Warriors
Into the Band of Brothers	p. 79
Notes on Allied Organization in the Pacific Theater	p. 84
Into the Cauldron	p. 88
January 1943: The End of the Beginning	p. 95
February 1943: The Calm Before the Storm	p. 102
March 1943: A Rising Star	p. 105
April 1943: Deaths in the Families	p. 111
May 1943: Passing in the Night	p. 117
June 1943: Into the Interior	p. 121
July 1943: Four in One Day	p. 124
August 1943: Black Days	p. 129
September 1943: Air Supremacy	p. 138
October 1943: Down in Flames	p. 144
November 1943: The Pied Piper of Poplar	p. 152
December 1943: Vals for Christmas	p. 163
January 1944: The Next Great Ace?	p. 163
February 1944: The Flying Circus	p. 170
March 1944: And Then There Were Two	p. 176
April 1944: Cases for the Ace of Aces	p. 183
May 1944: Modesty Equal to Merit	p. 193
June 1944: "And the Angels Sing"	p. 199
June 1944: A Stranger Comes to Hollandia	p. 202
July 1944: The Lone Eagle on His Wing	p. 207
August 1944: Just Doing His Job	p. 214
September 1944: Very Little and Very Safe	p. 220
October 1944: Shooting Gallery Skies	p. 224
November 1944: The Race for Glory	p. 238
December 1944: Medals of Honor	p. 249
January 1945: Never to Be Forgotten	p. 269
February 1945: The Roses Were Victory Red	p. 277
Spring 1945: The Lure of Jet Planes	p. 281
Summer 1945: Home Sweet Home	p. 287
August 1945: By His Example to Inspire	p. 292
Remembrance	p. 301
Aces High	p. 303
Those Who Remember Them	p. 310
Epilogue: Heroes	p. 319
Bibliography	p. 323
Widely Used Acronyms	p. 325
Cumulative Scores	p. 327
Official Texts of Medal of Honor Citations	p. 329
Index	p. 331
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