Fountaindale Public Library

Damn Lucky, one man's courage during the bloodiest military campaign in aviation history, Kevin Maurer

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 291-292) and index

individual biography

illustrationsplates

index present

non fiction

Damn Lucky

bibliography

1246145844

Kevin Maurer

one man's courage during the bloodiest military campaign in aviation history

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was a world away from John Luckadoo's hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But when the Japanese attacked the American naval base on December 7, 1941, he didn't hesitate to join the military. Trained as a pilot with the United States Air Force, Second Lieutenant Luckadoo was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group stationed in Thorpe Abbots, England. Between June and October 1943, he flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over France and Germany on bombing runs to devised to destroy the Nazi war machine. With a shrapnel-torn Bible in his flight jacket pocket and his girlfriend's silk stocking around his neck like a scarf as talismans, Luckadoo piloted through Luftwaffe machine-gun fire and antiaircraft flak while enduring subzero tmeperatures to complete twenty-five missions and his combat service. The average bomber crew rarely survived after eight to twelve missions. Knowing far too many airmen who wouldn't be returning home, Luckadoo closed off his emotions and focused on his tasks to finish his tour of duty one moment at a time, realizing his success was more about being lucky than being skilled. Drawn from Luckadoo's firsthand accounts, acclaimed war correspondent Kevin Maurer shares his extraordinary tale from war to peacetime, uncovering astonishing feats of bravery during the bloodiest military campaign in aviation history, and presenting an incredible portrait of a young man's coming-of-age during the world's most devastating war

adult

One man's courage during the bloodiest military campaign in aviation history