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THEY FLEW WITH TIGERS
The Story of American Beauty and Her Crew In the China, Burma, India Theater.
375th Bomb Squadron, 308th Bomb Group, 14th Air Force, Flying Tigers.
A Proposal by
PAUL R. MARTIN III
Silent Sentinel Studio
PO Box 551
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
914-245-8903
[email protected]
www.paulmartinart.com
www.theyflewwithtigers.weebly.com
The Idea
They Flew With Tigers is about the unheralded airmen of the 308th Bomb Group of the Fourteenth Air Force’s “Flying Tigers” in China during World War II. They have received little recognition, while their counterparts of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces in England and Europe have had hundreds of volumes honoring them. The time to tell their epic story has finally come.
The Book
The book weaves the history of the only heavy bomb group in General Chennault’s “Forgotten Fourteenth” through the words and memoirs of ten diverse young warriors who flew a B-24 Liberator named American Beauty. It chronicles their pre-war lives and coming of age during the Depression and their quick transformation from civilian to soldier at hastily constructed training fields around the country. A rousing flight across the U.S. and overseas journey to adventurous, exotic China in 1944, reveal a tale of frightening, high-altitude drama with pathos and humor, set against the backdrop of global war. The reader will anxiously ride along with the crew as they fly their unpredictable war machine on 30 harrowing combat missions against the Japanese. The fateful last flight Horace J. Carswell, the only 14th AF airman to win the Medal of Honor, is also detailed within the pages of the book. The saga concludes with emotional homecomings and reunions when the boys put their war years behind them and quietly assimilate into post-war, mainstream America.
The manuscript is culled from hours of interviews with the crew who, along with their families, also provided diaries, letters, and military documents. Recently declassified official records of the 308th Bomb Group and 375th Bomb Squadron and historical reports from the Army Air Forces Archives at Maxwell AFB, complete the big picture of the crew’s action and service. Meticulously researched and footnoted, the book paints a colorful word picture of life in the Air Corps during World War II. It is unique because it represents an overall unit history of the 308th BG while focusing primarily on one particular 10-man crew. Rarely, if ever before has the heroic story of one specific, heavy bomber crew been told with such immediacy, passion, detail, and personal insight.
The Market
As you well know, the 70th anniversary of World War II and the dedication of the National Memorial in Washington, DC, along with scores of recent major motion pictures, television documentaries, and books have rekindled a highly deserved, public interest in the heroic deeds of the veterans of “The Greatest Generation.”
Most people in the 18 - 65 year old age range know a WWII veteran, be it their father, grandfather, uncle, neighbor or friend. Many of today’s younger readers grew up idolizing those men and listening intently to their war stories. Older readers are veterans themselves who still have an interest in the history of the war that they experienced first hand. That immediate and direct connection between readers and veterans is readily evident by the commercial success of dozens of films and television specials produced over the past few years alone. The Academy Award winning Saving Private Ryan, Memphis Belle, The Thin Red Line, Pearl Harbor, Windtalkers and Clint Eastwood's recent award winning films Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima are just a few of the motion pictures that recently packed movie houses and sold thousands of copies when released on VHS and DVD. Band of Brothers, War Stories, and similar documentaries on HBO, A&E, The History Channel and Discovery Channel continue to captivate millions of viewers on a regular nightly basis. Ken Burns’ highly acclaimed PBS documentary series The War also drew millions of American viewers to their TV sets in 2007 and it’s companion book sold thousands of copies. Recently, the NFL offered a moving tribute to “The Greatest Generation” during the opening ceremonies of Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Florida. The live broadcast was seen by millions of people around the world. Specialty magazines like World War II, Aviation History, and Armchair General all feature articles detailing World War II personalities and fighting units. Each of these publications reaches hundreds of thousands of readers every month. Clearly the interest in the warriors and aviators of WWII is at an all-time high!
Similarly, many books have become best sellers, like Tom Brokaw’s series, The Greatest Generation. Other recent titles, such as Alex Kershaw’s The Bedford Boys and Omaha Beach by Joseph Balkoski, have also sold in significant numbers. Stephen Ambrose’s Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day, The Victors and The Wild Blue have all spent months on The New York Times Best Sellers list. The Wild Blue relates the tales of several aircrews who flew B-24’s against Germany in the European Theater, as does Stuart J. Wright’s An Emotional Gauntlet, Donald L. Miller’s Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany and Untold Valor: Forgotten Stories of American Bomber Crews over Europe in World War II by Rob Morris.
Most recently, Laura Hillenbrand’s critically acclaimed Unbroken, topped The New York Times Best Sellers list and a major motion picture is scheduled for Christmas 2014 release. James Bradley’s Flyboys topped The New York Times Best Sellers list with the story of George H. Bush and his dive bomber comrades shot down over the South Pacific in 1944. It was the triumphant follow-up to Bradley’s first book and #1 best seller Flags Of Our Fathers, written to honor his father, one of the men pictured in the famous photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima. Finding A Fallen Hero by Bob Korkuc documented his personal investigation into his uncle’s death as a B-17 turret gunner over the skies of Germany, told with reverence and conviction fifty years later.
After the Liberators by William C. McGuire paid similar tribute to his father, a B-24 navigator killed in action over the skies of Europe, and Thomas Childers’ Wings Of Morning, honored his uncle, a radio operator killed on one of the last missions over Germany. Both critically-acclaimed books featured European Theater B-24 airmen and garnered widespread national attention. Bradley’s, Korkuc’s, McGuire’s and Childers’ personal approach to their writings infused their narratives with poignant remembrances and anecdotes that struck an emotional chord with the American public, earning them solid sales.
My book, They Flew With Tigers, evokes comparable sentiment and passion as it documents the service of my father-in-law and his B-24 crew. It continues the tradition of honoring the efforts of these men by shedding light on a small group of regular guys who performed their duty to the best of their ability. Although fighting in the lesser known China, Burma, India Theater, the backwater of WWII, these men still played an important role in the annals of the 20th century. They are forgotten heroes who, along with thousands of others, did nothing less than save the world! In the widely appealing catalogue of WWII stories and histories, the dearth of books about CBI Theater aircrews creates an obvious niche for They Flew With Tigers to fill.
The Outline
Introduction
Foreword
Part One/Past and Present:
Chapter 1. Between Two Bridges
The reader is immediately drawn into the action as the opening chapter describes a journey to a 14th Air Force reunion with Michael Fevola. Our conversation prompts flashbacks to Fevola’s and his crew’s tense and dramatic bomb run against a heavily-fortified bridge over the Yellow River in China. Each of the ten men is introduced as he mans his assigned battle station, diligently performing his duties in the face of danger. Several members are reintroduced 60 years later, when they meet and gather at their reunion in Washington, DC, on Memorial Day, 2003.
Part Two/Aerial Gunners:
Chapter 2. Aerial Gunnery Training
Chapter 3. Specialized Turret Training
Part Two includes pre-war biographies of the six enlisted men as they grow to manhood during the tough times of the Depression. Their initial response to the attack on Pearl Harbor and their motivation for enlisting in the Army Air Force are examined. Sketches of the home-front provide a glimpse into the sacrifices of everyday Americans and form the backdrop to each man’s journey from civilian to soldier following their individual training at various airfields and bases around the United States. Brief histories of some of the more significant training facilities are included.
Part Three/Officers:
Chapter 4. Learning To Fly
Chapter 5. Flying The B-24 Liberator
Chapter 6. The Essential Function
Chapter 7. A Ten Man Crew
Chapter 8. Hamilton Field
Chapter 9. The High Road to China
The third section concentrates on the early lives and training of the four officers, including the romantic saga of the only married officer, navigator Chester Skotak, remembered through the words of his widow, Dorothy. She chronicled their efforts to remain together, devotedly journeying from training base to training base, renting cheap rooms in private homes and sharing joy and hardships. The Skotak’s story of love and devotion in uncertain times offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of the American home-front, indicative of many young couples who lived through those turbulent years. The whirlwind romance between bombardier Frank Riddle and his future wife, Lorraine, as remembered by her, is also related in this section. A brief history of the B-24 Liberator, the most produced aircraft of WWII precludes the crew’s arduous journey across America and the overseas voyage to China in their brand new B-24, American Beauty. Exciting stops along the way and a dangerous flight across the Himalayas (the infamous “Hump”) rounds out the section with a synopsis of the Chinese/Japanese war history and the establishment of General Claire Chennault’s “Flying Tigers,” his 14th Air Force, and his 308th Bomb Group.
Part Four/ Fighting Tigers:
Chapter 10. The 308th Bomb Group
Chapter 11. American Beauty
Chapter 12. Baptism of Fire
Chapter 13. First Love Lost
Chapter 14. The Blood Of Flyers
Chapter 15. On The Nose
Chapter 16. In Like A Lamb, Out Like A Tiger
Chapter 17. The Yellow River Bridge
Chapter 18. April Reign
Chapter 19. Victory
Part four is the heart of the book. All twenty combat missions flown by the crew of American Beauty, including the tragic mission that resulted in her destruction, a difficult crash landing at their home field and a hazardous emergency landing at a forward fighter field are recounted and described in dramatic and vivid detail. The reader flies along with the crew and senses their excitement and fear, as well as their sadness and anger as they experience the tragic loss of squadron comrades, including Maj. Horace Carswell. The often mundane and sometimes humorous life on base between missions and their interaction with the local Chinese people are woven into the fabric of their combat record. Against formidable enemy defenses and against all odds, the crew remarkably survives every dangerous mission unscathed. All are awarded the Air Medal and The Distinguished Flying Cross before their hard-earned trip home.
Part Five/ Homecomings/Reunions
Chapter 20. Closure
Chapter 21. Best Years Of Their Lives
Chapter 22. A Farewell To Tigers
The book concludes with the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Maj. Carswell, the only 14th AF member to receive our nation’s highest award. It details the recent discovery and recovery of missing 308th aircraft chronicled in part four. A final summation, tribute, and expression of gratitude for the veteran’s service is given, recounting their feelings of pride and accomplishment as they return home, marry, have children and get on with their lives. Brief post-war biographies of each crewman are included along with tearful stories and vignettes as the men gather together at reunions and stay in touch throughout the ensuing years with a glimpse of the honor bestowed upon 14th AF veterans by a grateful Chinese nation during the annual and final 14th AF Association reunions. A personal recounting of the emotional events and a subsequent private crew-member only reunion serves as a fitting final chapter of the book.
Appendix: (optional)
Crew’s movement orders
Skotak’s Navigator’s notebook
B-24 emergency procedures
Confidential 14th Air Force flak analysis and charts (recently de-classified)
308th Bomb Group casualty name list and statistics
308th BG crash reports and missing air crew reports
The book will be illustrated with up to 200 unpublished photos taken by the crew members, including 60 in rare, pristine, full color taken by the pilot during training in the States and combat in China.
The Author
I am a professional historical artist, teacher, and member of the Company Of Military Historians, the Rockland County Civil War Flags Commission and the Lincoln Forum. I serve on the Board of Directors of the Yorktown Historical Society and the Lincoln Society in Peekskill and am an active member in the 14th Air Force Association and the Army Air Forces Historical Association. Recently, I was named an Honorary Trustee of the North Carolina South Mountain Monument Fund. I hold the office of President and Program Director for the Rockland County Civil War Round Table and am Vice-president of the Lincoln Depot Museum Foundation. In September of 2003, I was recognized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States for “patriotic service rendered to the community.” I was nominated for inclusion in the 2005 edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.
My paintings are on permanent display in the Pentagon, the United States Congressional Building, West Point, and in numerous private collections throughout the country. Major one-man exhibitions of my works at the Gettysburg Visitors Center, West Point and the New York Union League Club have garnered national attention, not only for an inspired and dramatic style, but also for meticulously researched historical accuracy. Graduation Morning was accepted by the Association of Graduates, USMA for publication as an Academy Bicentennial Commemorative fine art print, and a recent paintings grace the cover of author Jay Jorgensen’s book, Gettysburg’s Bloody Wheatfield, Michael T. Glenn’s Frederick Douglass: The Founding father of Slavery Free America, and Allison Albee’s The Nasty Affair at Pines Bridge edited by Monica Doherty. I have created commemorative prints for the USMA Class of 1968, the Meade Society of Philadelphia, the Sons of Union Veterans, the Yorktown Historical Society and am currently working on the annual National Convention Commemorative print for the Company of Military Historians. Now I have devoted the same extensive research, attention to detail and visual imagery to my first historical, literary work.
All of my World War II and historical fine art prints are advertised in national magazines such as World War II and Aviation History. The art prints are also sold directly through my studio, website and galleries and outlets throughout the United States. My gallery network and my nationally-advertised website, provide an immediate marketplace for the sale of They Flew With Tigers.
y promotional appearances at art galleries throughout the year, along with an average of 12 historical lectures and presentations annually at historical societies and military history groups around the country, open another direct marketing opportunity for the book. An appearance on Fox News’ highly viewed Fox and Friends morning program in the summer of 2003 introduced my artwork to thousands of new buyers. My New York City contacts would enable me to make another appearance on Fox and Friends as well as other New York City-based national television and talk radio programs to promote the book.
I earnestly hope that I have piqued your interest in reviewing They Flew With Tigers and have convinced you of its marketing and commercial potential. Thank you for your time and consideration. I have enclosed a SASE for your convenience and hope to hear from you in the near future. All the best!