Wesley Clark is Correct
Wesley Clark Hammers McCain's
Experiencepoliticususa.com — Wesley Clark was on Face the Nation
today, and he took aim at the idea that McCain's Vietnam War
experience makes him more qualified to be president. “I don’t think
getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to
become president.” With one swoop, Clark attacked the entire basis for
the McCain presidential campaign
And McCain in no more a hero than any of the following men:
Let's quit the political bullshit.
Where are the men of Untold Valor now?
http://untoldvalor.com/
For the men of the Army Air Corps in early World War II, the chance of
surviving the obligatory twenty-five missions without death, injury,
or imprisonment was one in three. In this groundbreaking book, Rob
Morris has sought out remarkable but little-known stories of the air
war from the men who lived and fought it.
Based on hundreds of interviews with American veterans and their
families, Untold Valor illuminates the courage of airmen whose
exploits have until now remained untold. Read about Jewish aviators’
experiences as POWs in German camps. Learn about American airmen who
were imprisoned, even killed, by the neutral Swiss and about two Air
Corps enlisted men who changed U.S. policy toward liberated
concentration camp survivors. Also discover the unusual story of
Luftwaffe commander Herman Goering’s nephew, who flew B-17 missions
against Germany. While some of the stories cover major events, most
are about incidents and individuals misrepresented or overlooked by
history books. Yet their efforts were vital, their lives forever
changed.
Detailed and moving, Untold Valor is certain to interest the serious
air historian and the casual reader alike. With a foreword by the
editor of B–17s Over Berlin.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About The Author:
ROB MORRIS is a high school history and English teacher with a
lifelong interest in the World War II air war. This book is his sixth.
He lives near Idaho Falls, Idaho.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviews/Endorsements:
"This strong collection of tales of heroism is long overdue, for it
salutes airmen who conducted Medal of Honor-worthy acts of courage,
but whose stories were never told. Rob Morris does a terrific job of
bringing these stories to life, and the variety of his subject matter
is both intriguing and entrancing." --Walter J. Boyne, former director
of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and author of
BEYOND THE WILD BLUE: A HISTORY OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE
"Rob Morris has compiled a fascinating collection of first-hand
accounts by veterans of the Mighty Eighth and the U.S. Fifteenth Air
Force. . . . A major contribution to the history of the Second World
War." --From the introduction by Ian Hawkins, military historian and
author of B-17s OVER BERLIN: PERSONAL STORIES OF THE 95th BOMB GROUP
News Update: In February, 2007, the first edition of Untold Valor
sold out. The publisher, Potomac Books, ran a second pressing. This
second pressing is about half sold-out as of May. Untold Valor
continues to be one of the top selling WWII aviation books on Amazon
and is featured in museums and libraries across the United States and
in Great Britain.
AUTHOR'S BACKGROUND
Rob Morris is a dedicated World War II researcher and former pilot
with a degree in History from the University of Montana. A married
resident of Ammon, Idaho, with three children, he has taught in public
schools there and in Wyoming for 23 years. This is his fifth
published book.
The Evolution of Untold Valor, from Inception through December 2007
The author began writing the book in the fall of 2000. A high school
teacher, he did research and correspondence during the school year and
made air and car trips around the United States to visit and interview
the men who grace the pages of the book. Interview sites included
Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, PA; Cherry Hill,
NJ; Canton, OH; Spokane, WA; Wilson, WY; Salt Lake City, UT. Morris
ultimately conducted hundreds of interviews. He narrowed the scope of
the book down to fifteen specific chapters of stories he felt had been
overlooked.
2005 Untold Valor is first published by Xlibris, a small, print-on-
demand publisher from Philadelphia.
The original cover of the Xlibris edition is shown here:
In early 2005, the book becomes a featured title on the Mighty
Eighth Air Force Message Board on the web.
March 2005, it sells its first copies overseas, to England and
Denmark.
April 2005. Sales begin to rise nationwide, and favorable reviews
begin to appear.
April 2005, the book sells its first copy in Switzerland, prominently
covered in two chapters dealing with harsh Swiss treatment of
internees.
June 2005, Untold Valor makes the short list of 'Great Summer
Reading' books in the June issue of the 8th Air Force Historical
Society Magazine, "The Eighth Air Force News".
July 2005, Untold Valor purchased by Potomac Books, the US's leading
publisher of military and aviation history.
March 2006: Untold Valor released by Potomac Books.
February 2007: Untold Valor sells out of first printing and goes into
second printing.
May 2007: Untold Valor released in second printing.
July 2007: Untold Valor hits #1 on Amazon in Aviation Book Category
Christmas 2007: Untold Valor sells its 3,000th copy with Potomac and
stays regularly in the top ten aviation books on Amazon.
Reviews of Untold Valor
"I just finished reading Untold Valor. It is a very easy and
interesting read. Reading each chapter almost makes you feel like you
are a participant in the story action. Once I started reading I
didn't want to put the book down. Congratulations in writing Untold
Valor. It is now a treasured addition to my library." --- Harry
Gobrecht, World War II B-17 Combat Pilot and Historian Emeritus of the
303rd Bomb Group (Hell's Angels), 358th Squadron.
"This strong collection of tales of heroism is long overdue, for it
salutes airmen who conducted Medal of Honor-worthy acts of courage,
but whose stories were never told. Rob Morris does a terrific job of
bringing these stories to life, and the variety of his subject matter
is both intriguing and entrancing." --Walter J. Boyne, former
director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and author
of BEYOND THE WILD BLUE: A HISTORY OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE
"Your book arrived. The prologue is excellent as it captures the pulse
and feel of old flyers." --- Hap Halloran, B-29
officer and POW in Japan, 1945.
"I like the total absence of the traditional, bombastic, patriotic,
glamorous tone of many war-related books...I admire the humanity and
down-to-earth testimony of the persons described and interviewed. I
am especially pleased to note the awareness of the political and
humanitarian aspects of the personal experiences and reflections. And
the evil, anti-Semitism and cruelty of the Germans, without losing
sight of the terrible suffering of the victims of aerial bombardment
are dealt with sensitively and intelligently." -- Former WWII U.S.
Army 2nd Lt. Leo Packer, veteran of 4 campaigns in Europe.
"Rob Morris has compiled a fascinating collection of first-hand
accounts by veterans of the Mighty Eighth and the Fifteenth Air Forces
over a period of five years of research and coast-to-coast travel.
The finished product is a major contribution to the history of the
Second World War." -- Ian Hawkins, Aviation Historian and author of
"B-17s Over Berlin: Personal Stories from the 95th Bomb Group (H),
Munster: Before and After, and Destroyer: An Anthology of First-Hand
Accounts of the War At Sea 1939-1945, in his Introduction to Untold
Valor
"I read your book 'Untold Valor' with great interest, pride and awe of
the outstanding people therein...I know firsthand how indebted we are
to these outstanding individuals. I spent approximately six months in
'A Place Called St. Otillian' as a nine or ten year old orphan of the
holocaust and benefited greatly from the accomplishments of Bob
Hilliard and Edward Herman which you describe in the first
chapter...Thank you for writing this great book." -- Steven Gure, WWII
Holocaust Survivor.
"I picked up the book and could not put it down. What a collection of
stories! I felt I was right there next to the tellers as they related
their experiences. Very powerful!" -- George Koesters, a Reader.
"Untold Valor is probably the most complete and accurate book that I
have had the opportunity to read. I am a World War II veteran in the
European Theatre of Operations with five major battle stars, and I
highly recommend everyone read this book. Untold Valor is the
book." ----- George D. Le Delle, World War II Veteran, landed on
Utah Beach on D-Day.
"Rob Morris' book is one for those who are familiar with the stories
of airmen in World War II...Morris set out to write a different type
of book...in searching out material for his chapters, he focused on
those experiences that related to the human experience, the unusual
untold tales, tales not found in other published works, tales of the
human spirit...This
noticeably different book." --- Book
Review, 8th Air Force News, June 2005, published by the Eighth Air
Force Historical Society, in book review section "for great summer
reading".
SYNOPSIS
While much has been written about the American bomber offensive in
Europe during WW II, some of the most valiant stories were never
recorded until now. In this groundbreaking book, Rob Morris reveals
hidden history of the allied air war you will not soon forget.
Incredible but true, Herman Goering’s nephew, a B-17 aircraft
commander, flies
missions over Berlin, accompanied by a mysterious sharp-shooting
copilot on a top-secret assignment.
In harrowing aerial combat brought to life by the author, ball turret
gunners suspended beneath B-17 Flying Fortresses 20,000 feet in the
air at temperatures 30 below zero fight off fierce swarms of German
interceptors.
Allied airmen shot down during the battles are imprisoned or killed in
neutral Switzerland while Jewish crew members become prisoner of war
guests in a country committed to their obliteration.
Two Air Corps enlisted men change U.S policy towards displaced
concentration
camp survivors in liberated Germany and earn the wrath of Allied
Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. Young male and female
aviators die in training accidents because of rushed maneuvers and
defective equipment.
Twin brothers, both aerial gunners, suffer different fates in the
skies above Europe, only to reunite on VE Day in London. A captured
B-17 pilot begins an anti-war novel in his German Stalag—a book that
will take him 50 years to complete. An airman witnesses the Holocaust
up close, then creates a piece of artwork that becomes internationally
famous.
Fifteen chapters in all, illustrated abundantly with rare vintage WWII
photographs, Untold Valor springs into action from hundreds of
interviews conducted by the author. As a result of Rob Morris’
numerous conversations substantiated by meticulous research, his book
is certain to capture the fancy of serious aviation historians and
casual readers alike.
Illustrated Previews of Sample Chapters Below.
Jewish Airmen
The Star of David Over the Swastika, a chapter that features extensive
interviews with Jewish airman, documents the special peril faced by
these brave men. A seperate chapter deals with Jewish airmen who
ended up as Prisoners of War in a nation dedicated to their
destruction
The photo above shows the 95th Bomb Group's "Ten Knights in a Bar
Room", piloted by Johnny Johnson, returning from one of the European
air war's longest over-water missions. The plane, smoking and on fire,
its tail and wing burning through, limped home behind the formation.
Bombardier Leonard Herman, a young Jewish airman, prays inside the
nose cone of the crippled craft. Mr. Herman is one of five men
currently under consideration for a belated Medal of Honor.
Goering Bombs Germany
Werner Goering, the nephew of Luftwaffe chief Herman Goering, and an
American citizen, flew bombing missions over Germany as a command
pilot for the 303rd Bomb Group. He was accompanied by his copilot,
Jack Rencher, a sharpshooting, straight-talking Arizonan with a top-
secret mission. Read about it in the chapter "Goering Bombs Germany".
The Hand
As a young Prisoner of War, B-17 crewman Lee Kessler witnessed a
terrible war crime near the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. He
captured it in a drawing which would become a symbol of the horrors of
the Holocaust and which would be shown throughout the world. Read
about it in the chapter 'The Hand'. Above is Lee Kessler with the
original of 'The Hand' in his home in Ohio.
Ball Turret Gunner
One of the unsung heroes of the bomber war, the ball turret gunner,
survived in his cramped ball for hours at a time, at forty below zero,
suspended from the belly of the ship. This position, which combined
man's deadliest fears of cramped spaces, heights, and death, could
only be filled by a special breed of man. Extensive interviews with
two of them create the first in-depth study of ball turret gunners.
It's all in the chapter "Ball Turret Gunner".
The Untold Story of American Airmen in Switzerland During World War
Two
If he attempted escape, an American airman who ended up in Switerland
might find himself in a Swiss federal prison run by a sadistic Swiss
Nazi named Andre Beguin. Both the U.S. and Swiss government denied
the existence of the camp, Wauwilermoos, until many years after the
war. Read the story of one young B-24 gunner who ended up there, and
his struggle for survival, in the chapter 'Black Hell of
Wauwilermoos'. Also read about American airmen who were shot down by
the neutral Swiss. All were interviewed for this book and shed new
light on the Swiss role in the air war in World War Two.
Hell's Angels and Memphis Belle: First To Finish
Every American has heard about the Memphis Belle, but how many know
about Hell's Angels? This 303rd B-17 finished its missions a few days
before the Belle, but has been eclipsed ever since. Read about their
duel to reach 25 missions, and about how a young moviemaker named
William Wyler made one bomber crew some of the most famous Americans
of World War Two.
The 303rd's most famous B-17, Hells Angels
The Reunion
At twenty, B-17 pilot Lyle Shafer barely escaped from an exploding
B-17 with his life. He sat out the rest of the war in a German POW
camp, and while there, took the names and addresses of all his mates
in hopes of meeting again after the war. Fifty years later, armed
only with this list, Lyle set out to find them all and bring them
together again at 'The Reunion'.
A wounded Lyle Shafer in a photo taken shortly after his capture.
Photo above shows Lyle Shafer and fellow POWS, newly liberated by the
Russians in front of their stalag barracks.
These stories and many more in 'Untold Valor'. Get your copy today.
The book is widely available at any fine bookseller, including Barnes
and Noble, and is availabe online from any major bookseller, including
Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
Orders can be made from Potomac by clicking on this link:
http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=128753
Where are the men of Untold Valor now?
Many readers have asked about the men whose stories are contained in
the pages of Untold Valor. Sadly, some of them have passed away. I
offer this
In Memorium Salute to these fallen heroes:
Frederick 'Fred' Schoch
Lee Kessler
Herbert Alf
Robert Morgan
Robert 'Rosie' Rosenthal
Nathaniel 'Gus' Mencow
Basil 'Lyle' Shafer
Frank Murphy
E. Edward Herman
Recent News: JUNE 2007
Author launches weblog site to honor veterans, with new entries and
stories daily. Please visit at http://untoldvalor.blogspot.com/
Announcement
New Book, Combat Bombardier, by one of the greats of the 95th Bomb
Group, is now available from Xlibris!
To order, use the links below.
In May 2007, Rob and his friend Leonard Herman released Combat
Bombardier: Memoirs of Two Combat Tours in the Skies Over Europe in
World War Two. For a preview, click this link to the book's publisher
page
Book page: www.xlibris.com/COMBATBOMBARDIER.html
Author page: www.xlibris.com/Morris.html
This exciting new book contains the memoirs of one of the last living
original members of the famed 95th Bomb Group, Leonard Herman.
Leonard, a highly-decorated combat flier, returned to Europe and
served a second tour of duty in the 9th Air Force flying A-26s and
B-26s. He is currently under consideration for a belated Medal of
Honor. This short book is full of original photos, some taken in
combat, and presented as only Leonard himself could do. Alternately
hilarious, heartbreaking and terrifying, 'Combat Bombardier' is
certain to interest students of the air war. The book, at 111 pages,
contains graphic language and some adult situations.
Update Fall 2007: Rob Morris and the 95th Bomb Group Association are
finalizing plans for Rob to write the official history of the 95th
Bomb Group (H), 'first over Berlin'.
Click on the 95th Bomb Group website for details as they develop.
http://95thbg.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=1&Itemid=
The author welcomes emails from readers and potential readers.
To contact Rob Morris, send email to: geriamor@msn.com
P-51 Mustang
P-47 Thunderbolt
Contrails, 390th Bomb Group, 1943
The View From the Bombardier's Position on a B-17
Replica World War Two Control Tower used by 8th Air Force in England
Air Corps B-24's Blast the oil fields at Ploesti, Rumania
