Scrappy: Memoir of a U.S. Fighter Pilot in Korea and Vietnam [Kindle Edition]

Howard C. Johnson (Author), Ian A. O'connor (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Scrappy--a living aviation legend. A must read." --Robert J. Gilliland, Chief Test Pilot, SR-71 Blackbird

"He's a fighter pilot's fighter pilot." --Ronald Fogleman, General, USAF (Ret.), Chief of Staff, USAF, 1994-1997

"Our country is fortunate to have patriots like Colonel Johnson, who are the guardians at the gates of our freedom!" --Ross Perot

Product Description

From World War II to high above the Earth to Vietnam, this memoir tells the story of fighter pilot Howard C. "Scrappy" Johnson. Beginning with his early years in Knoxville, Tennessee, the book follows Johnson through his career at the University of Louisville and his enlistment as an Air Force cadet at the onset of World War II. After World War II, Johnson served a tour of duty in the skies over Korea and in 1958 broke the world's altitude record by over 14,000 feet, soaring at 91,249 feet in his F-104A Starfighter. For this remarkable feat he was awarded the Collier Trophy, aviation's highest honor. In Vietnam, he was director of operations for the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing and was instrumental in founding the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots, a group dedicated to the remembrance of fallen and captured airmen. Written with panache, this work records the bigger-than-life adventures of one of America's finest.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 3517 KB
• Publisher: McFarland (November 16, 2007)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002U0KETK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,506 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Look Into The Fighter Pilot World, March 1, 2008

By 

Christina Olds (Vail, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scrappy: Memoir of a U.S. Fighter Pilot in Korea and Vietnam (Paperback)

Scrappy and my dad, Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, were cohorts and compadres in a world that only fighter pilots can understand. I read this book with great enjoyment, appreciation, laughter and admiration. Through no end of great tales, self-deprecating honesty and acute analysis of the political bureaucracy in play during the Vietnam war, I learned far more about fighter pilots than I already knew I didn't know! "Scrappy" is a great read and should be on everyone's list - not only for Air force veterans but for active duty pilots of today.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scrappy, January 3, 2008

By 

A. Hallonquist "Mr. Batron" (Stuart, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scrappy: Memoir of a U.S. Fighter Pilot in Korea and Vietnam (Paperback)

Pick up your Funk & Wagnall, flip open to the word "hero". It is there you will see "Scrappy's" photo right next to the likes of Robin Olds, whom Scrappy was well acquainted with.

I read this book cover to cover in one night. It is a rollicking account of a fighter pilot who lives up to his name of "Scrappy" (or as his friends know him - "Sir"), both in combat and doing the unthinkable in 1958: flying a stock F-104 to an altitude record of over 91,000 feet. In 1958!

His stories of combat in Korea, keeping the Russians at bay during the Cold War and, where he really proved his mettle in Viet Nam,will keep you riveted to your chair, and at times, reaching for your ejection handles!

The first President of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, he knows whereof he speaks, and Mr. O'Connor knows how to write about it.

Order this book NOW, or Sir himself will be knocking at your door wanting to know why! And I'll be there with him!

Editorial reviews by Bob Gilliland, Ron Fogelman and Ross Perot have to mean something.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book from a great man!, January 5, 2008

By 

Gilbert Huey (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scrappy: Memoir of a U.S. Fighter Pilot in Korea and Vietnam (Paperback)

I had the pleasure of meeting Scrappy a couple of years ago at an astronaut and aviator autograph show in Florida. He was more interesting and likeable than the more famous spacemen sitting around him. His new autobiography is excellent. I couldn't put the book down until I had finished reading it...in one sitting. I enjoyed it so much I purchased another copy as a gift!