The Wings of Change by Thomas E Alexander
On the brink of World War II, Texas was still largely a rural state, a closed society. Few chose to leave, and even fewer outsiders found any reason to enter. A frontier morality dictated adherence to strict moral guidelines regarding temperance, frugality, tolerance, fidelity, and moderation. Cultural activities and educational opportunities were limited. The state's economic situation was dire as a result of the Great Depression and persistent drought. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, needing to put unemployed men back to work and at the same time begin preparing for a looming war, called for building more than fifty thousand new military aircraft and training more than thirty thousand pilots to fly them. And that's when Texas began to change. In the next few years, sixty-five army airfields would be located in Texas, more than in any other state. Some citizens may have been troubled initially at the prospect of uniformed strangers trooping down their streets, perhaps up to all manner of nefarious deeds. Those concerns, however, were all but obscured by the reality of federal dollars flowing into citizens' pockets long empty and civic coffers all but bone dry. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, a surging spirit of patriotism universally overcame any shreds of lingering doubt about the need not only to have the bases close by but to welcome military personnel to the community with open arms. The air force had come to Texas in a big way, and changes, as well as the wings of thousands of airplanes, were in the air, from Dalhart to Laredo and from El Paso to San Antonio.
the lasting impacts of establishing and operating training bases which frequently doubled the population of the cities, towns and communities in which the bases were builtTo my knowledge, The Wings of Change is the first book to fully underscore the immense importance of this critical and colorful chapter in our history. - Gen. Billy J. Boles, United States Air Force (Ret.) from the foreword
Thomas E. Alexander is the author of two other books on Texas military history, volumes one and two of The Stars Were Big and Bright: The United States Army Air Forces and Texas During World War II. Volume I received the San Antonio Conservation Society 2001 Book Citation. Alexander, who received his flight training in Texas, served as a captain in the air force and as a major in the Illinois Air Guard. He lives in Fredericksburg, Texas, and previously was owner/operator of Alexander Cattle Company and executive vice president/marketing for Neiman Marcus in Dallas.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781893114357 |
| ISBN 10 | 189311435X |
| Title | The Wings of Change |
| Author | Thomas E Alexander |
| Series | Military History Of Texas |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | McWhiney Foundation Press |
| Year published | 2003-04-21 |
| Number of pages | 250 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |