The First Hellcat Ace [Hardcover]

Hamilton McWhorter (Author), Jay A. Stout (Author), Noel A. M. Galyer (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

THE FIRST HELLCAT ACE Cdr Hamilton McWhorter, III, USN (Ret) with Jay A. Stout Though he objected to being called such, Hamilton McWhorter III's service to family and country make him a standout among America's Greatest Generation. A Georgia native whose family roots date from that region's settlement during the 1700s, Mac McWhorter was a naval aviation cadet undergoing training when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. After earning his Wings of Gold in early 1942, Ensign McWhorter was trained as a fighter pilot in the robust but technologically outmoded F4F Wildcat. Initially assigned to VF-9-a fiercely spirited and hard-playing fighter squadron-he saw first combat in November 1942 against Vichy French forces in North Africa. After returning to the United States, VF-9 became the first unit to convert to the new Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter-the fighter the U.S. Navy would use to crush Japanese air power during the long offensive from the Southwest Pacific to the shores of Japan. From mid 1943, Hamilton McWhorter was constantly engaged in the unforgiving and deadly aerial warfare that characterized the battles against Imperial Japan. His fifth aerial victory, in November 1943 off Tarawa Atoll, made him the first ace in the Hellcat, and seven subsequent victories ensured his place in the annals of air-to-air combat. McWhorter's combat service, from the beginning of the war to the last campaign off the shores of Okinawa, makes his story a must-read for the serious student of the Pacific air war. Hamilton McWhorter III retired from the Navy as a commander in 1969. He passed away in 2008. A Marine F/A-18 pilot from 1981 to early 2000, Lieutenant Colonel Jay A. Stout is a combat veteran with over 4,600 flight hours. He has also authored Hornets over Kuwait, which recounts his own experiences during the Gulf War. What the experts are saying about The First Hellcat Ace: "Mac McWhorter not only survived three carrier deployments in World War II, he earned a reputation as one of the Navy's deadliest fighter pilots. His memoir captures the attitude of his generation-the heroism and the sacrifice, and the return to a loving famiy. It was an era never to return again." --Barrett Tillman, author of Hellcat: The F6F in World War II "Mac McWhorter became a noted Navy fighter ace during World War II, his three carrier deployments characterized by intense combat, the loss of numerous squadron mates, and the pain of separation from his wife and family. His memoir is not the stuff of legends or glamour so often associated with fighter pilots, but a sensitive look at the realities faced by carrier aviators who go in harm's way." --Bruce Gamble, author of Black Sheep One: The Life of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington "Not only a thrilling account of some of the great air battles of the Pacific war, Hamilton McWhorter's book provides a window through which we can view a generation of young men at war, impressed by their camaraderie and spirit and humbled by the hardships and fears they overcame." --M. Hill Goodspeed, historian at the U.S. Navy Aviation Museum "Today the U.S. Navy's World War II fighter pilots remain less well known than their Army Air Forces counterparts. One reason is that they have left far fewer memoirs, a great loss, because nothing can replace authentic descriptions of fighter combat by those who actually did it. Fighter ace Hamilton "One Slug" McWhorter, a member of elite Fighting Squadron 9, flew nearly the whole war, first over Northwest Africa, then in the 1943-44 Central Pacific offensives, and finally in the grim assaults against Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and in the skies over the Japanese homeland. Vividly written, The First Hellcat Ace is an important contribution not only for the Pacific but the air war in general." --John Lundstrom, author of The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Pacifica Press (CA); 1st edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935553495
• ISBN-13: 978-0935553499
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #630,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Truly Great WWII Aviation Memoirs, June 5, 2006

By 

W. H. McDonald Jr. "The American Author Assoc... (Elk Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The First Hellcat Ace (Hardcover)

Professional writer Jay Stout and WWII air ace extraordinaire, CDR Hamilton McWhorter III (USN Ret) have captured a great piece of personal history in their non-fictional book, "The First Hellcat Ace." This is truly one of the all time greatest stories of U.S. Naval aviation history. The authors take us along as we follow a young Hamilton go through his training (During the time of Pearl Harbor) and off on his battles over North Africa against the Vichy French and in the Pacific against the Japanese.

This is not just a story of how one man becomes the first air ace in a Hellcat Fighter but it deals with accounts of other men from "Fighting Squadron 9." These were America's best young men who fought in the skies above the likes of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Tarawa Atoll among other places. They risked their lives daily in air to air combat and from hostile ground and ship fire.

There is much depth to the story telling as we get to look at McWhorter's experiences as he reflects back on those days during the war. It is told as if it had just recently happened. The writing style is easy to read and follow and creates great excitement. It also gives us a more personal view of the men and what their lives were like. This book is suitable for most all readers.

If you enjoy aviation, or naval war stories, history, or just like to read about heroes, then this is the book for you. This is an important book that needs to be discovered by young Americans looking for old fashioned heroes. Commander McWhorter is the real McCoy and it would be good to honor him and others like himself before the Greatest Generation becomes just a memory. But when they do, I hope that this book will still be there casting long shadows over future generations.

Given the MWSA's Highest Rating of Five Stars!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly engaging military biography, May 23, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Hellcat Ace (Hardcover)

With the assistance of professional writer Jay A. Stout, Hamilton McWhorter has written an informative and compelling memoir of his experiences in World War II, beginning with his status as a naval aviation cadet undergoing training when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. McWhorter earned his Wings of gold in early 1942 and as Ensign McWhorter trained to be a fighter pilot on an outmoded F3F wildcat. He first saw combat during November 1942 in North African against the Vichy French. Upon returning stateside, McWhorter and his VF-o unite converted to the new Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters and from mid-1943 was constantly engaged in deadly aerial warfare against Imperial Japanese forces. He became the first ace in the Hellcat during the action off Tarawa Atoll in November 1943, and seven subsequent victories ensured his place in the annals of air-to-air combat. The First Hellcat Ace is a vividly told, informatively presented, thoroughly engaging military biography from first page to last -- and highly recommended reading for all World War II military and aviation history buffs.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, May 17, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The First Hellcat Ace (Hardcover)

Well written, honest and easy to read - this is the kind of book that gets dusted off every year or so and re-read.