Pilots and Painted Ladies

Raised on a Montana farm, Vernon Drake enlisted in the Army Air Corps, piloting B-24 bombers and painting nose art while enduring perilous missions in the Himalayas during World War II.

Raised on a farm in Montana, Vernon Drake enlisted in the Army Air Corp in the spring of 1942. Assigned to the 493rd Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Group of the 10th Air Force stationed in India, he piloted B-24 bombers into Burma in a fight to prevent the Japanese from advancing north to China, then flew C-108 gas-hauling tankers across the formidable Himalayas to support the U.S. and Allied armies. This dangerous airlift saw tons of fuel and supplies flown daily over the tallest mountain range in the world, regardless of the weather.

He and the other airmen—aged only eighteen to twenty-five—flew dangerous missions over unforgiving territory against a brutal enemy. To provide some personal identity in an impersonal war, aircrews often painted artwork and identifying names onto the nose of their aircraft. As a talented artist, Lt Drake would spend many off-duty hours painting aircraft at the request of their crews, becoming a significant contributor to the nose art of the 10th Air Force.

Drake’s story, pieced together from his meticulous records, contrasts the hours spent creating works of art with the moments of sheer terror in combat over enemy targets and navigating through towering mountains engulfed in murderous storms while carrying thousands of gallons of highly explosive fuel.

eBook Details:

Lawrence V. Drake
240 Pages
5 - 6 Hours to read
73k Total words
Release Date: January 15, 2025
ISBN-13: 9781636244969
ISBN-10: 1636244963
Language: English
Format: epub
File size: 51,83 MB