Title Above the thunder : reminiscences of a field artillery pilot in World War II / Raymond C. Kerns

Published Kent, Ohio : Kent State University Press, ©2009

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Description 1 online resource (xvii, 305 pages) : illustrations, map, plans Contents Introduction: The heroic liaison pilots of World War II and the amazing Piper Cub L-4 / by Tom Baker -- Prologue -- The pineapple soldier -- Ninety-day wonders and fair-haired boys -- Kauai to Fortification Point -- Tornado task force -- Luzon : Lingayen to the hills -- Over the hills to Baguio -- Sashaying around up north -- Epilogue -- Appendix: History and specifications of the J-3 Piper Cub / by Tom Baker -- Notes / by Tom Baker Summary An extraordinary memoir of an aviator?s service in the Pacific Theater --?If you?re looking for macho, fighting-man talk, you?ve picked up the wrong book. ... This is just an honest narration of some of my experiences ... during my service in the U.S. Army between 1940 and 1945.??Raymond C. Kerns -- The son of a Kentucky tobacco farmer, Raymond Kerns dropped out of high school after the eighth grade to help on the farm. He enlisted in the Army in 1940 and, after training as a radio operator in the artillery, was assigned to Schofield Barracks (Oahu) where he witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and participated in the ensuing battle. In the months before Pearl Harbor, Kerns had passed the Army?s flight training admission exam with flying colors. But because he lacked a high school diploma, the Army refused to give him flying lessons. Undaunted, Private Kerns took lessons with a civilian flying school and was actually scheduled for his first solo flight on the afternoon of December 7, 1941. Notwithstanding his lack of diploma, Kerns graduated from Officer Candidate School and then completed flight training in the L-4 Piper Cub in late 1942. He was assigned to the 33rd Infantry Division in New Guinea and saw extensive combat service there and in the Philippines. In a simple but riveting style, Kerns recalls flying multiple patrols over enemy-held territory in his light unarmored plane, calling and coordinating artillery strikes. While his most effective defense was the remarkable maneuverability and nimbleness of the L-4, he was often required to defend himself with pistols and rifles, hand grenades, and even a machine gun that he welded to his landing gear and once used to blow up an ammunition dump. Proud of his service and convinced of the effectiveness and cost efficiency of the L-4 pilots in the Pacific and Europe, Kerns earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star. Above the Thunder, arguably one of the best memoirs of combat action during World War II, will appeal to military historians as well as general readers Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 287-297) and index Notes English Print version record Subject Kerns, Raymond C., 1921-2008. SUBJECT Kerns, Raymond C., 1921-2008 fast Subject United States. Army -- Aviation. SUBJECT United States. Army fast Subject World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations, American World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Pacific Area World War, 1939-1945 -- Artillery operations, American World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American Air pilots, Military -- United States -- Biography BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY -- Historical. HISTORY -- Military -- World War II. BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY -- Personal Memoirs. Air pilots, Military Armed Forces -- Aviation Military campaigns Military operations, Aerial -- American Aufklärungsflieger Pazifikkrieg 1941-1945 Pacific Area United States USA Genre/Form collective biographies. autobiographies (literary works) Personal narratives Autobiographies Biographies Personal narratives Autobiographies. Personal narratives. Biographies. Autobiographies. Récits personnels. Biographies. Form Electronic book ISBN 9781612775791 1612775799 9781612775784 1612775780 1283244829 9781283244824 9786613244826 6613244821

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