Dr. Harold L. Buell

Not to take anything away from his service, but I didn't much care for Buell's book. I'm looking for analysis and deep reflection from a career officer after 45 years. I got some mild criticism of leaders for giving poor planes and weapons to dedicated and talented flyers during the early years of the war, but not much else. Most of the book is "I was there..." The descriptions of life aboard a WWII carrier are informative and interesting, but there's too little and all the talk about this wingman or that gunner are really irrelevant to those who weren't there at the time. His ignorance and dismissal of most enlisted men is disdainful. I was more and more incredulous at all the mentions of different women he sleeps with when he's on leave, especially since the book is dedicated to his "beautiful wife...who has stayed with me on my wing all the way." It's also confusing that he talks about how as a leader and trainer he maintains high standards, but implies that drinking until the early hours and then flying at dawn is ok. Sad to say, I prefer The Unknown Battle of Midway: The Destruction of the American Torpedo Squadrons - with all it's faults - for doing a better job of analysis. Kudos to Buell for at least mentioning John Lundstrom a few times.… (más)

Insightful personal history of a critical period in WW2 history; the epic battles between the Japanese and US carrier forces in the Pacific. Buell piloted all three; the Douglas Dauntless SBD2 and SBD5,as well as the difficult to fly and accident prone Curtiss SBCHelldiver, WW2 U.S. Navy dive bombers. He creates a vivid picture of the hurdles that young trainees faced to fly these complex machines and then take them to war. He experienced the difficulties that, promotion by seniority and favoritism rather than competence caused for the men who actually went into battle. He served under men as good as Jocko Clark and Mark Mitcher as well as the bad or controversial Miles Browning and John McCain. These are the first pilot memoirs, that I have read, that identifies the issue of medals for the pilots and few for the back seaters.
Coincidentally, I had the opportunity to experience a simulated dive bombing attack from the backseat of an SBD5 while reading this book. As the pilot, a current F18 squadron commander, related the tasks required: to take off from a carrier, to find and bomb the target while facing enemy fighters and/or AA fire and then to return and land on the ship it seemed quite overwhelming. Add to this list, that radar was not yet in planes with radio communication also very inadequate, you have to admire how well these young men performed.… (más)