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above the thunder reminiscences of a field artillery pilot in world war ii
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 armys 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 .
other not avail 2008 isbn13 9780873389808 isbn10 0873389808
abridged n isbn 13 9780873389808 number in series 1 number of pages 305 publisher kent state univ pr release date 62135769600000