"Richard Eager" A Pilot's Story from Tennessee Eagle Scout to General Montgomery's "Flying Fortress"

Product Description 100% of profits from the sale of the "Richard Eager" book are donated to the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force non-profit organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in support of Air Force members and families. A bet between WWII commanders. An Eagle Scout from Tennessee assigned to pilot one of the greatest leaders of the Allied Forces. This is the story of how young Captain Richard E. Evans became the B-17 "Flying Fortress" pilot for Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the British 8th Army, during missions throughout North Africa and Italy. Filled with humor and humility, Evans' recollections of cadet training, combat missions and experiences with the "top brass" provide a fascinating first-hand account of a World War II pilot in both the Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters of Operations. Woven throughout the chapters, Evans interrupts his personal narrative of war to recall pivotal childhood moments with friends and family and as a Boy Scout in the Smoky Mountains. Nicknamed for his over-eagerness as a cadet, "Richard Eager" shares his stories with great optimism for the future and poignant reflections on growing up. This book includes a chronology of Colonel Evans' life milestones and WWII details, his own glossary of war terms defined with humor, an appendix filled with original family letters, historic V-Mail, award commendations and primary source documents that shed light on his personal and professional relationships, joys, and fears. Iconic, restored photographs of Tennessee boyhood years and WWII military planes and service, and original maps illustrating the countries over which Evans flew, add to the book's historical content. An epilogue summarizing Colonel Evans' Strategic Air Command service after WWII is also included. Review "This chronicle of the life and career of USAF Pilot Colonel Richard Ernest Evans is the book I have been looking for throughout my career as a researcher, historian, academician, and book reader. It provides not only an exciting "jump seat" ride through the adventures of a World War II and Cold War pilot who flew bomber missions, met royalty and generals, and helped steer the Air Force from its beginnings in the 1940s to the world today but also offers the experiences that shaped him as a boy and young man, something you don't often get with such narratives. We see his experiences as a bomber pilot during the Second World War, the command decisions he frequently had to make, his meeting with King George VI on the tarmac in Tripoli, his memorable days he had as a pilot flying British General Bernard Montgomery as his "personal pilot" flying his B-17 "Flying Fawtress" Monty had earned as payment of a bet with General Dwight Eisenhower, his role in the formative days of Strategic Air Command, and his friendship with General Curtis LeMay." "This beautifully compiled memoir weaves one man's story with a larger historical narrative exceptionally. The details are rich and thorough, and the copious use of photographs allows the reader to get a real sense of Richard Evans and his life. Any fans of WWII history will appreciate this in-depth portrait of one man's experience serving alongside General Montgomery." "The book is a handsome volume. The pictures of the war in the air are striking. The family album gives you an idea of the middle America that his generation came from. There are full appendices, chronologies, and notes to supplement your understanding of Evans and his time. I enjoyed reading about this accomplished and inspiring man." "This book is wonderfully different from most WWII nonfiction. It is a collection of fascinating war stories from the front lines of North Africa and Italy, but it is also a "coming of age" book with memorable sections that recall youthful years in Tennessee. This combination of childhood and adulthood chapters is poignant, not just because we see how quickly Captain Evans had to become an adult at