Pappy Gunn [Paperback]

Nathaniel Gunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2004

The name-. often heard and heralded during and after World War II PAPPY GUNN ordinarily speaks for itself-however in this book, the unforgettable, untold to this day, human story of the legendary "Pappy Gunn", hero of the Pacific Air War and to his family who knew and loved him-. this story is told with the understanding of one who had the fore knowledge and burning determination to sort out the facts and myths about him, Nathaniel Gunn, the author, fellow lover of flying, and his youngest son, who was with him until his untimely crash in Civilian life doing what he loved to do-flying, flying, flying! You'll find the story intriguing in its discoveries, packed with Pappy's own personal original files, long forgotten letters, documents and photographs spanning Pappy's youth into the U.S. Navy, marriage, retirement in Hawaii and move to the Philippine Islands. Then, the untimely entrance of the United States in the WWII bombing and capture of Manila. Most of all, this story draws a perceptive focus on-. the man-as the person and courageous patriot he truly was, joining the U.S. AirForce he was at this time-. Fighting 3 wars at once His family imprisoned by the Japanese. The brass who needed him to accomplish the impossible And, the enemy who had the upperhand, but not for long! Thank God - his was atriumphant battle in all three!

Product Details

• Paperback: 492 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (June 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141843776X
• ISBN-13: 978-1418437763
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,840,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars World War II's Greatest Hero, July 23, 2004

By 

S. E MCGOWAN "Sam McGowan" (Missouri City, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pappy Gunn (Paperback)

If there is a single outstanding American hero of World War II (and perhaps in all of American history) it is Colonel Paul Irvin "Pappy" Gunn.A former US enlisted naval aviator, Gunn had retired from the Navy and was living in the Philippines with his wife and four children when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and invaded the Philippines. As the owner of a small air taxi operation, Gunn and his airplanes were impressed into the United States Army Air Corps immediately after the outbreak of war. On Christmas Eve, 1941 Gunn was ordered to fly a load of Far East Air Force staff officers to Australia and to stay there awaiting further orders. His family - including the author - remained in Manila and were interned by the Japanese for the duration, leading Gunn to fight his own private war. And fight he did! Historian and author Walter Edmond stated that no other single invidual did as much to defeat the Japanese as did Gunn, who is best known for his conversion of the Douglas A-20 and North American B-25 into powerful gunships that did a number on a Japanese convoy in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. But he did a lot more, especially in those dark days of early 1942. It's not widely known, but Gunn flew several missions from Australia to Bataan by way of Mindanao in his role as the commander of the newly organized Air Transport Command. During the Java Campaign he took a war-weary B-17 that had been turned over to his transport squadron and used it to attack Japanese ships in the Java Sea. In March 1942 he literally stole two dozen B-25s from the Netherlands East Indies Air Force, then flew one of ten on the Royce Raid into the Philippines a few weeks later.

Pappy Gunn is the the famous aviators story in the words of his son Nat, who grew up in the Japanese internment camp at Santo Thomas Prison, then lived with his dad in the Philippines after the war and until his untimely death in 1957. Nat has done an outstanding job of telling not only his father's story, but also that of his mother, brother and two sisters as they waited helplessly in the Philippines for their father and husband to return for them. Instead of their father, it was no less a figure than General Douglas McAthur who came to the gates of Santo Thomas University to put them on a C-47 for the flight to Australia, where Pappy Gunn had been evacuated a few months before after recieving a serious wound from a Japanese white phosphorus bomb. This book should be read by every American! It's the story of a real hero, not a media or politically generated one.

Sam McGowan, Author - The Cave, A Novel of the Vietnam War

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pappy Gunn Review, June 13, 2007

By 

Val T. Howard - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PAPPY GUNN (Hardcover)

After having read numerous books on the 5th Air Force operations in the Southwest Pacific (SWP) theatre during WWII, that made constant reference to Pappy Gunn and his contribution to the success of the operations, it was great to finally obtain an in depth look at the man. The book provides a wealth of information on the ability of Pappy Gunn to get what was needed to accomplish his goals of not only modifying B-25s and A-20s into strafers and capable of longer range, but to show that his dedication to his captive family was his motivation. This is not just a war story, but an in depth story of a very significant character in the overall picture of the war in the SWP.

The shortfall in this book is the poor reproduction of the photos and the letters. The letters were especially hard to read and as a result, significant information that could have added depth to the story was lost.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is as exciting an historical account as you will ever read!, August 12, 2006

By 

knb53 "knb53" (Edwardsville, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pappy Gunn (Paperback)

This is a singularly unique book that tells a true life, historical account of one of the greatest heros of "The Great War." With stunning photographs, and with every fact offered supported by actual photocopies of historical documents proving each assertion, and written with skill and heart as only his son Nathaniel Gunn could, this is a "must read" for anyone interested in the "Greatest Generation," in WWII lore, etc. In our current existential angst about what constitutes a righteous and reasonable occasion for war, this is a book that will make the most liberal anti-war wonk thank his/her lucky stars that in a time long past there were those who had the courage to stand up and fight for all that we have come to hold so dear. You won't be able to put this book down, I promise you! So put on a pot of coffee, curl up in your most comfortable easy chair, and be prepared to bear witness to one of the most incredible true stories of courage, love, and patriotism that you will ever read.