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 by Carl Bong Burgess Publishing 1991 Hardcover 573 pages photos, maps ISBN: 0808784137 Cover Price: $16.00 Language: English  Order now at amazon.com Return to |
Dear Mom So We Have a War This book is a biography of Richard Ira Bong who enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) and became a fighter pilot and flew the P-38 Lightning in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). During his three tours of duty, he claimed a total of forty aerial victories and became America's top fighter ace of World War II. The book is a chronology of letters written by Bong to his mother, Dora May Bryce Bong. Each of his letters to her begins with "Dear Mom..." hence the title of the book. Most of his letter are short and focused on family news and events or aspects of life in his hometown of Poplar, Wisconsin. Often, much of the letter is devoted to replying to the last letter from home they received and reveals the difficulties of correspondence in war when letters were often delayed. These letters are typical of what most Americans wrote home during the war. They often lack details about combat actives either due to self-censorship or to avoid expressing fear or trouble to immediate family, especially his mother. Bong often writes that he is "very busy" or suggests she might have "read in the papers" about some incident or exploit. Beyond his letters home, the book is a chronology of his service told in his letters home with copies of combat reports, flight logs and statements. Review by Justin Taylan Return to Book Reviews | Add a review or submit for review Last Updated |
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