| Description |
1 online resource (xiii, 481 pages) : illustrations, maps |
| Physical Medium |
polychrome |
| Description |
text file |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Summary |
This is the true story of a young boy from Posey County, Indiana, who had a dream to fly. The outbreak of World War II enabled him to fulfill that dream. Cheerio and Best Wishes is told entirely through the letters he wrote to his family and friends. Detailed narrative and commentary provide explanation and background information. One hundred thirty-eight letters are presented in this book. It is highly unusual to find this many letters from one person, curated by his family and recently rediscovered by his son, along with carefully created photograph albums. The story starts in rural southern Indiana and follows the young volunteer as he goes westward to California and New Mexico to be trained to fly bombers. From the United States, he travels via South America and North Africa to England and deploys with the Eighth Air Force. The accounts of his journeys and experiences are detailed, ranging from entertaining to spine-tingling. Moments of high drama intermingle with the mundane nature of war. Together the letters and pictures in this book (the originals are now preserved for posterity in the Purdue University Flight Archives) offer a comprehensive and cohesive story of how US airmen were prepared and trained for war, and detail the daily experience of a bomber pilot flying missions over Germany. The letters of one young flyer reflect the experience of thousands of Americans who volunteered to go to war in the 1940s. His experiences were those of a generation. |
| Contents |
""Title""; ""Copyright""; ""Dedication""; ""Contents""; ""Preface""; ""Introduction""; ""Chapter 1 I Want to be a Flier""; ""Chapter 2 Class 42F: They Call us Dodos""; ""Chapter 3 Sure Enough it was Henry Fonda""; ""Chapter 4 Nothing to do but Fly""; ""Chapter 5 A New Navigator""; ""Chapter 6 She was Full-Blooded Portuguese""; ""Chapter 7 V-Mail, Crackers, and Washing Socks""; ""Chapter 8 The Big Show""; ""Chapter 9 French Follies and the Broads""; ""Chapter 10 Bombed to Pieces""; ""Chapter 11 Friends and Family""; ""Appendices""; ""References and Resources""; ""Index"" |
| Local Note |
eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - North America |
| Subject |
Schneck, Ralph H., 1919- -- Correspondence.
|
|
Schneck, Ralph H., 1919- |
| Genre/Form |
Correspondence.
|
| Subject |
United States. Army Air Forces -- Biography.
|
|
United States. Army Air Forces. |
| Genre/Form |
Biographies.
|
| Subject |
Schneck, Ralph H., 1919- |
|
United States. Army Air Forces. |
|
World War, 1939-1945 -- Aerial operations, American.
|
|
World War (1939-1945) |
|
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American.
|
| Genre/Form |
Personal narratives -- American.
|
| Subject |
Air pilots, Military -- United States -- Biography.
|
|
Air pilots, Military. |
|
United States. |
|
Posey County (Ind.) -- Biography.
|
| Genre/Form |
Electronic books.
|
|
Autobiographies.
|
|
Autobiographies.
|
|
Personal correspondence.
|
|
Personal correspondence.
|
|
Personal narratives.
|
|
Personal narratives.
|
| Added Author |
Schneck, Donald R.
|
| Other Form: |
Print version: Schneck, Ralph H., 1919- Cheerio and best wishes. West Lafayette, Ind. : Purdue University Press, ©2013 9781557536402 (DLC) 2012029106 (OCoLC)801996498 |
| ISBN |
9781612492575 (electronic book) |
|
1612492576 (electronic book) |
|
9781612492582 (electronic book) |
|
1612492584 (electronic book) |
|
9781557536402 |
|
1557536406 |
|
