Never Call Me a Hero: A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers t

Jack 'Dusty' Kleiss was the only pilot ( incuding the Japanese) who managed to hit THREE different (two carriers and a Cruiser) enemy ships in the Battle of Midway, all three sank, thus being entitled to be called the MVP -Most Valuable Pilot-of the battle that changed WWII. He completed this book ( with the aid of Tim and Laura Orr) at age 99, just before his death in 2016. His memory was clear as a bell, and aided by past letters and such, recalled a 'life well lived'.He grew up on the Kansas Prairie and reading about his childhood, religious faith and hard work and daring as a youth is a fine example for all. He entered the US Naval Academy in 1934 ( 82 years before he died---a whole other era!) and tells of his four years there, then assignment to the surface fleet before getting a chance to fly ( throughout his life he was a risk taker). The preperations, training, including some incompetence among leaders of the pilots is gone into. The wastage of pilot's lives by having those planes launched first have to wait for many minutes in air until the whole formation was ready-(even the slower speed planes like the torpedo bombers, which would quickly be left behind anyway)--thus wasting fuel, resulted in many pilots not having enough fuel to return to the carriers after the attack..is gone into. The deaths of friends ( one, dying, asks Dusty 'Pray for me and tell my family to pray for me') is touching, as one gets to know many of the crew from Dusty's narrative. This book should be in every school and/or public libray in America, back when people served their country instead of demanding to be served ( a twist on JFK's famous words). Thank you for your service to your country, Lt. Kleiss!

A superb insight in to the USN Pilots during WWII.

To have survived the Battle of Midway and being involved in the most decisive battle in the Pacific makes the author a lucky man. His account of his career up to the battle and his involvement in it is an excellent read.

Well written and very interesting looking from a historical perspective

Cet ouvrage est un formidable témoignage, à la fois d'une époque où le travail personnel et acharné permettait d'obtenir des postes et une carrière., mais aussi d'une partie cruciale de la seconde guerre mondiale dans le pacifique. L'ouvrage dresse le portrait d'un américain qui débuta comme un simple marin et qui après une courte carrière comme sous officier décrocha tardivement ses ailes de pilote de bombardier en pique "SBD Dauntless". Il est devenu un pilote talentueux et il a tenu, avec plusieurs autres pilotes de l'US Navy, un rôle non négligeable durant la bataille de Midway. Solide et émouvant témoignage personnel, à la fois sur sur son histoire personnelle et sa carrière professionnelle au sein de la marine américaine après la guerre.