Cart
Free Shipping in Australia
Proud to be B-Corp

Dumb but Lucky Richard K. Curtis

Dumb but Lucky By Richard K. Curtis

Dumb but Lucky by Richard K. Curtis


$13.69
Condition - Very Good
Only 1 left

Summary

Dick Curtis went against the odds in World War II. He simply should not have made it through. An older brother was killed in a B-17 Flying Fortress and a younger brother would be killed in Korea, so just how Curtis survived as a P-51 Mustang pilot gnaws at him to this day.

Dumb but Lucky Summary

Dumb but Lucky: Confessions of a P-51 Fighter Pilot in World War II by Richard K. Curtis

Dick Curtis went against the odds in World War II. He simply should not have made it through. An older brother was killed in a B-17 Flying Fortress and a younger brother would be killed in Korea, so just how Curtis survived as a P-51 Mustang pilot gnaws at him to this day. Shipping out to Italy in May, 1944, second lieutenant Curtis was part of the'hottest' shipment to leave Newport News for he was one of fifty or so emergency replacement pilots heading for combat with less than thirty hours of flight time in their new high-performance aircraft (the official minimum was three hundred hours before a pilot was considered ready for combat). He would soon realize that he was entering a combat zone where there were more aircraft than pilots to man them. Pilots were flying five to six hour missions every day in a constant state of exhaustion. As one of twelve replacement pilots for the 52nd fighter group, half would be shot down within two weeks of their arrival. Ultimately, Curtis would prove to be the sole survivor. This is his dramatic story. Richard K."Dick" Curtis, as a P-51 fighter pilot with the 52nd Fighter Group in Italy earned the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he earned a bachelor of Theology degree from Northern Babtist Seminary in Chicago and an MS and PhD from Purdue University. He retired from the faculty of Purdue University after twenty-four years teaching speech communication. He is the author of three previous books; They Call Him Mister Moody (Doubleday, 1962), Evolution or Extinction: The Choice Before Us (Pergamon, 1982) and Hubris and the Presidency: The Abuse of Power by Johnson and Nixon (Rutledge Books).

Dumb but Lucky Reviews

"The strength of our democracy lies in the wide variety of leaders and heroes we produce at all levels. This story is a wonderful example!"
-Joseph S. Nye, Jr., dean of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and author of The Paradox of American Power

About Richard K. Curtis

Richard K. "Dick" Curtis, as a P-51 fighter pilot with the 52nd Fighter Group in Italy earned the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he earned a bachelor of Theology degree from Northern Babtist Seminary in Chicago and an MS and PhD from Purdue University. He retired from the faculty of Purdue University after twenty-four years teaching speech communication. He is the author of three previous books; They Call Him Mister Moody (Doubleday, 1962), Evolution or Extinction: The Choice Before Us (Pergamon, 1982) and Hubris and the Presidency: The Abuse of Power by Johnson and Nixon (Rutledge Books).

Additional information

GOR001966936
9780345476364
0345476360
Dumb but Lucky: Confessions of a P-51 Fighter Pilot in World War II by Richard K. Curtis
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Presidio Press
2005-08-01
352
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Dumb but Lucky