Title Cheerio and best wishes : letters from a World War II Hoosier pilot / Ralph H. Schneck and Donald R. Schneck

Published West Lafayette, Ind. : Purdue University Press, ©2013

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Description 1 online resource (xiii, 481 pages) : illustrations, maps 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 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 Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Print version record Subject Schneck, Ralph H., 1919- -- Correspondence SUBJECT Schneck, Ralph H., 1919- -- Correspondence Schneck, Ralph H., 1919- fast Subject United States. Army Air Forces -- Biography SUBJECT United States. Army Air Forces fast Subject World War, 1939-1945 -- Aerial operations, American World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American Air pilots, Military -- United States -- Biography BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY -- Historical. HISTORY -- Military -- World War II. HISTORY -- Military -- Aviation. Air pilots, Military Military operations, Aerial -- American SUBJECT Posey County (Ind.) -- Biography Subject Indiana -- Posey County United States Genre/Form collective biographies. autobiographies (literary works) Personal narratives Autobiographies Biographies Personal narratives Personal correspondence Autobiographies. Biographies. Personal narratives. Autobiographies. Biographies. Récits personnels. Form Electronic book Author Schneck, Donald R ISBN 9781612492575 1612492576 9781612492582 1612492584

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