Table of Contents

Notes on Squadron Nomenclature and Organization xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

Prologue: Knights of the Air 1

Part 1 Boys 9

1 The Roaring Twenties and the Lone Eagle 11

2 Changes and Challenges 20

3 A World Goes to War 27

4 Americans Prepare 33

5 Young Men and War 44

6 The Daring Young Lieutenants and Their Flying Machines 52

7 Their Warhorse, Their Fork-Tailed Devil 60

8 Ups and Downs 67

Part 2 Warriors

9 Into the Band of Brothers 79

Notes on Allied Organization in the Pacific Theater 84

10 Into the Cauldron 88

11 January 1943: The End of the Beginning 95

12 February 1943: The Calm Before the Storm 102

13 March 1943: A Rising Star 105

14 April 1943: Deaths in the Families 111

15 May 1943: Passing in the Night 117

16 June 1943: Into the Interior 121

17 July 1943: Four in One Day 124

18 August 1943: Black Days 129

19 September 1943: Air Supremacy 138

20 October 1943: Down in Flames 144

21 November 1943: The Pied Piper of Poplar 152

22 December 1943: Vals for Christmas 163

23 January 1944: The Next Great Ace? 163

24 February 1944: The Flying Circus 170

25 March 1944: And Then There Were Two 176

26 April 1944: Cases for the Ace of Aces 183

27 May 1944: Modesty Equal to Merit 193

28 June 1944: "And the Angels Sing" 199

29 June 1944: A Stranger Comes to Hollandia 202

30 July 1944: The Lone Eagle on His Wing 207

31 August 1944: Just Doing His Job 214

32 September 1944: Very Little and Very Safe 220

33 October 1944: Shooting Gallery Skies 224

34 November 1944: The Race for Glory 238

35 December 1944: Medals ofHonor 249

36 January 1945: Never to Be Forgotten 269

37 February 1945: The Roses Were Victory Red 277

38 Spring 1945: The Lure of Jet Planes 281

39 Summer 1945: Home Sweet Home 287

40 August 1945: By His Example to Inspire 292

Part 3 Remembrance 301

41 Aces High 303

42 Those Who Remember Them 310

Epilogue: Heroes 319

Bibliography 323

Widely Used Acronyms 325

Appendix 1 Cumulative Scores 327

Appendix 2 Official Texts of Medal of Honor Citations 329

Index 331