Military Writer Eric Hammel Opens New Website

This book is due out this fall. Wish I had it now to use while working on my own 95th BG book!

Eric Hammel is one of my favorite military authors. I've been enjoying his books for years before I 'met' Eric via the internet. Eric has opened a new website that is visually stunning and is packed with interesting and useful information about military history books and military history in general. Drop by and take a look. You'll be glad you did.

Here's the link: www.erichammelbooks.com

95th Bomb Group Book

The last B-17 lost in WWII was from the 95th Bomb Group, and went down during a Manna/Chowhound Mission to drop food to the starving people of Holland in May, 1945.

When I signed on to write the unit history of the 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy), one of the premier B-17 Flying Fortress groups of World War Two, I knew that in order to get a rough draft done by the end of 2008 I would have to work pretty much non-stop all summer. I spend most of the day either reading material, mostly primary source stuff, or writing. Breaks for lunch and for my late afternoon run keep me fresh.

When school starts in mid-August, I will be in a new school with a new assignment, which means extra work for the first year or two. There won't be a lot of time to write then. As Elvis used to say, "It's now or never."

The 95th BG Memorial in Horham, England.


There's no shortage of material. It's likely I'll end up with a thousand pages of rough. Luckily, I have a 95th BG pilot, John Walter, vetting things for me as I go, and my co-author, Ian Hawkins, will also bring his fine-tuned writer's eye to the project, so it will be pared down and much improved by the time we're done. In the meantime, I feel like I have stepped back in time and am living on the 95th Base at Horham, East Anglia in the early 1940's, surrounded by young American men half my age who go off to face near-certain death on a regular basis, or by the brilliant support crews on the ground who made it all possible. I've been along on more missions than I can shake a stick at, been shot down a dozen times, evaded a few times, including once by walking over the Pyrenees into Spain with Chuck Yeager, and pretty much been absorbed into a different place and time. Having been to Horham and walked the runway and through the village, I can visualize the interactions between the villagers and the Yanks, especially after interviewing so many villagers this June. They had a special relationship that continues to this day.



In any case, the Square B B-17s of the 95th, the men who flew them, the men who kept 'em flying, and the Brits who lived near them, have populated my life this summer and seem as real as if it were only yesterday. We are well on our way to writing what I hope will be the best unit history ever written about an American bomber group.

95th Bomb Group Navigator Ellis Scripture's Words Ring True on Independence Day

Ellis Scripture was an amazing man. Known to his friends as 'Scrip', he was one of the top navigators in the Eighth Air Force. After the war, Scrip spent a lot of time keeping the history of the 95th Bomb Group alive, and encouraging the study of history. His biggest project was to help put together the book 'Courage, Honor, Victory', with Leonard Herman and edited by Ian Hawkins. (The book is now titled 'B-17s Over Berlin').

Scrip passed away in February of 2005, shortly after I had one last conversation with him. He was in very poor health, but his strong spirit still shone through.

Today, while working on the 95th Bomb Group history, I came across something Scrip wrote many years ago in a box of materials, and it hit me in the gut. It is a writing by a man who deeply loved his country and did not like where he saw it going in the post-war years. Scrips words speak for themselves, and I leave you with them, to ponder on this Independence Day, July 4, 2008.



"Over the last half century there may have been a tendency to put emphasis on the great air battles which we witnessed and perhaps in which we participated. After all, this is what war is all about, the ultimate contest of man versus man, mind versus mind, strategy versus strategy, courage versus courage. In retrospect, we played all of the above games and perhaps proved some points temporarily—but very few people care fifty years later…

It is amazing that World War Two is not included in the history courses in most schools…The words Patriotism, Liberty, Honor and Love of Country have been relegated to yesterday’s memories, replaced unfortunately by How much? and What’s in it for me?
Apparently, survival and satisfaction exclude love, respect for others, and being a good neighbor. Those with power today are the members of a vociferous minority who have learned that the quiet majority of good guys would rather quietly close the door and stay home rather than fight the good fight in the gutters and in the political arena.

Incidentally, I have never been able to sing the National Anthem since World War Two—I choke up with too many memories of great guys—and wonder many times what a wonderful world it would be if the flower of American youth could have lived to make their constructive contribution to our society.

It was a cold day in March 1943 when the 369 flight personnel of the 95th Bomb Group left Rapid City, South Dakota, for overseas deployment; 44 of those men (11 percent of the total) completed their first tour of duty. Twelve (12) of those volunteered for further combat. Two (2) were still on active flying status from England on V-E Day.

I hope that there are those younger and stronger who can and will save this wonderful republic from itself before it is too late. Personal responsibility for our own actions and a responsibility to, and for, others. It is not a quick fix, but perhaps it could be the beginning of an eventual formula for helping the America of tomorrow.”

Scrip, we're not going to let you down.

This is the only photo of Scrip I could find on the internet. It is his squadron photo, from Rapid City, South Dakota. Scrip is top row, third from left, a tall man, just in front of the left side of the window frame. Nearly all of these men were either killed in action, wounded in action, or became POWs. To view all their names, go to http://95thbg.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=131

...Lest we forget

This Blog off the Air Till June 20

This blog will have no new entries until June 20 or 21. I am leaving tomorrow for England to do research for the unit history on the 95th Bomb Group, stationed at Horham, England during World War Two. The 95th was one of the first bomb groups to fly in the war, and distinguished itself throughout the war in combat, earning three Distinguished Unit Citations and becoming the first American heavy bomber group to strike Berlin.

Time will be spent in Horham, at the Cambridge American Cemetery, at Duxford Air Museum, at the old bases at Horham, Framlingham (390th Bomb Group) and the 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe-Abbotts. All three bases are in East Anglia.

New Feature: Ask a WWII Airman

Okay, time for a new feature. Is there any nagging question you've always wondered about the men who flew the heavy bombers over Europe in WWII? Well, here's your chance to get an answer. Leave your question here and I'll forward it to some of my buddies who flew in WWII. When I get an answer, I'll post it.

But it only works if people ask the questions. Don't be shy. What do you want to know? My friends are all experts on survival in the cold deadly skies and they are guys who I have a feeling will have good answers.

Any questions?

A Proud Grandson Keeps the Memories Alive

I have been very blessed to make the acquaintance of a gentleman by the name of Les Poitras. Les's grandpa, Leslie B. Moore, was a ball turret gunner in the 100th Bomb Group in World War Two, and Les has been rediscovering the stories of the war years in the past few years. Les is like my twin brother in some ways--neither one of us can get enough of the air war history or talking to the veterans who were there. We read all the books we can find, talk to all the vets that we can catch up to, and write about our findings to each other and to anyone who will listen. Les has volunteered at the 100th BG website as a webmaster and has a good message board going over there. You can check it out by clicking on this link: http://100thbg.com/fubar/index.php?sid=435a3548f408c9d0c6316ab4b21dad3f

I am thankful for guys like Les Poitras, because his passion and his love of air war history ensures that the stories will stay alive.

Les sent this photo taken yesterday of himself with his grandpa's A-2 jacket. Les writes that he treasures this jacket, given to him by his grandpa, and that all these artifacts will end up in a museum if anything happens to him.

Les, you honor your grandfather's memory. He'd be mighty proud of you.

Keep 'em flying!