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Jayhawk: Love, Loss, Liberation and Terror Over the Pacific
The true story of the B-25 pilot who "fought a personal aerial war to retrieve his family from Japanese captivity in the Philippines . . . stirring" (Barrett Tillman, author of The Air War Against Japan 1942-1945).
Born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipina mother, George Cooper was one of the few surviving veteran pilots who saw action over such fearsome targets as Rabaul and Wewak. Not just another flag-waving story of air combat, Jayhawk describes the war as it really was--a conflict with far-reaching tentacles that gripped and tore at not only the combatants, but also their families, their friends, and the way they lived their lives.
Jay Stout examines the story of Cooper's growing up in gentle and idyllic pre-war Manila and how he grew to be the man he was. Stout reviews Cooper's journey to the United States and his unlikely entry into the United States Army Air Forces. Trained as a B-25 pilot, Cooper was assigned to the iconic 345th Bomb Group and flew strafing missions that shredded the enemy, but likewise put himself and his comrades in grave danger. A husband and father, Cooper was pulled two ways by the call of duty and his obligation to his wife and daughter. And always on his mind was the family he left behind in the Philippines who were in thrall to the Japanese.
"A story of love, honor, service, sacrifice, and endurance, captured in page-turning prose that honors a decorated aviator who was truly a giant among the many from America's greatest generation." --Stephen L. Moore, author of Rain of Mitscher's Task Force 58, Ugaki's Thunder Gods, and the Kamikaze War off Okinawa
Born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipina mother, George Cooper was one of the few surviving veteran pilots who saw action over such fearsome targets as Rabaul and Wewak. Not just another flag-waving story of air combat, Jayhawk describes the war as it really was--a conflict with far-reaching tentacles that gripped and tore at not only the combatants, but also their families, their friends, and the way they lived their lives.
Jay Stout examines the story of Cooper's growing up in gentle and idyllic pre-war Manila and how he grew to be the man he was. Stout reviews Cooper's journey to the United States and his unlikely entry into the United States Army Air Forces. Trained as a B-25 pilot, Cooper was assigned to the iconic 345th Bomb Group and flew strafing missions that shredded the enemy, but likewise put himself and his comrades in grave danger. A husband and father, Cooper was pulled two ways by the call of duty and his obligation to his wife and daughter. And always on his mind was the family he left behind in the Philippines who were in thrall to the Japanese.
"A story of love, honor, service, sacrifice, and endurance, captured in page-turning prose that honors a decorated aviator who was truly a giant among the many from America's greatest generation." --Stephen L. Moore, author of Rain of Mitscher's Task Force 58, Ugaki's Thunder Gods, and the Kamikaze War off Okinawa
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2020
21 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Jay A. Stout
23 books32 followersJay A. Stout is a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot. An Indiana native and graduate of Purdue University, he was commissioned during June 1981 and was designated a naval aviator on 13 May 1983. His first fleet assignment was to F-4S Phantoms at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. Following a stint as an instructor pilot at NAS Chase Field Texas from 1986 to 1989, he transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. He flew the Hornet from bases on both coasts and ultimately retired from MCAS Miramar during 2001.
Aside from his flying assignments, he served as the executive officer of 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, and in a variety of additional assignments with various staffs around the world. During his twenty-year career he flew more than 4,500 flight hours, including 37 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.
Following his military career Stout worked for a very short time as an airline pilot before being furloughed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He subsequently flew for the Kuwait Air Force for a year before returning to the States where he now works for as a senior analyst for a leading defense contractor.
Lieutenant Colonel Stout's writing has been read on the floor of the U.S. Senate and has been published in various professional journals and newspapers around the nation. Works published while he was on active duty addressed controversial topics (women in the military, the MV-22 Osprey, effectiveness of the AV-8B Harrier, etc.) and took viewpoints that were often at odds with senior military leadership. Nevertheless, his cogent arguments and forthrightness contributed considerably to his credibility. Indeed, his expertise is widely recognized and he has made many appearances as a combat aviation expert on news networks such as Fox, Al Jazeera and National Public Radio.
Aside from his flying assignments, he served as the executive officer of 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, and in a variety of additional assignments with various staffs around the world. During his twenty-year career he flew more than 4,500 flight hours, including 37 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.
Following his military career Stout worked for a very short time as an airline pilot before being furloughed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He subsequently flew for the Kuwait Air Force for a year before returning to the States where he now works for as a senior analyst for a leading defense contractor.
Lieutenant Colonel Stout's writing has been read on the floor of the U.S. Senate and has been published in various professional journals and newspapers around the nation. Works published while he was on active duty addressed controversial topics (women in the military, the MV-22 Osprey, effectiveness of the AV-8B Harrier, etc.) and took viewpoints that were often at odds with senior military leadership. Nevertheless, his cogent arguments and forthrightness contributed considerably to his credibility. Indeed, his expertise is widely recognized and he has made many appearances as a combat aviation expert on news networks such as Fox, Al Jazeera and National Public Radio.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 19, 2020
Following on the heels of his excellent book on the USAAF's 345th Bombardment Group, the "Air Apaches", author Jay Stout has now given us the story of one pilot who flew in that group during some of its toughest battles.
George Cooper was born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipino mother. He left home in 1940 with the idea of enrolling at the University of Kansas and becoming a Jayhawk like others in his family. However, the Japanese had other plans and he decided to become a fighter pilot instead. Well, he didn't get selected as a fighter pilot and ended up flying B-25 Mitchell bombers instead for the newly-formed 345th Bombardment Group. Shipping out to New Guinea via Australia, the group became part of General George Kenney's 5th Air Force and soon earned a reputation as a first-rate unit. Originally envisioned as a medium-altitude bomber, the B-25s of the 5th AF were converted into "commerce destroyers" as they were given an upgrade in firepower along with a change in tactics. Flying at treetop level, Cooper was a member of the Group's 499th Bombardment Squadron, known as the "Bats Outta Hell" and he was right there in the middle of the action as the group attacked Japanese shipping, supplies and airfields in the skies over New Guinea, and also New Britain where the main Japanese base of Rabaul was located.
But the book isn't just about George Cooper's combat missions. His parents and younger sister were still living in Manila and under the thumb of Japanese rule, with his father being interned in Santo Tomas Prison. Having no word about the fate of his relatives, along with many friends, was difficult for Cooper and probably would have been unbearable without the love of a great woman who he met prior to joining the military. Their love story is an integral part of the book as well and provides an interesting contrast to the tales of combat.
George Cooper flew over 70 missions, most in the B-25 during his first tour of duty. He returned to combat in early 1945 flying the A-20 and then the A-26 as the war in the Philippines wound down and eventually as American forces occupied Japan after the end of hostilities. All of his missions aren't chronicled in the book, but there are enough to satisfy anyone who wants to read what it was like to bomb and strafe less than 50 feet off the ground.
Very good book and worth picking up.
George Cooper was born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipino mother. He left home in 1940 with the idea of enrolling at the University of Kansas and becoming a Jayhawk like others in his family. However, the Japanese had other plans and he decided to become a fighter pilot instead. Well, he didn't get selected as a fighter pilot and ended up flying B-25 Mitchell bombers instead for the newly-formed 345th Bombardment Group. Shipping out to New Guinea via Australia, the group became part of General George Kenney's 5th Air Force and soon earned a reputation as a first-rate unit. Originally envisioned as a medium-altitude bomber, the B-25s of the 5th AF were converted into "commerce destroyers" as they were given an upgrade in firepower along with a change in tactics. Flying at treetop level, Cooper was a member of the Group's 499th Bombardment Squadron, known as the "Bats Outta Hell" and he was right there in the middle of the action as the group attacked Japanese shipping, supplies and airfields in the skies over New Guinea, and also New Britain where the main Japanese base of Rabaul was located.
But the book isn't just about George Cooper's combat missions. His parents and younger sister were still living in Manila and under the thumb of Japanese rule, with his father being interned in Santo Tomas Prison. Having no word about the fate of his relatives, along with many friends, was difficult for Cooper and probably would have been unbearable without the love of a great woman who he met prior to joining the military. Their love story is an integral part of the book as well and provides an interesting contrast to the tales of combat.
George Cooper flew over 70 missions, most in the B-25 during his first tour of duty. He returned to combat in early 1945 flying the A-20 and then the A-26 as the war in the Philippines wound down and eventually as American forces occupied Japan after the end of hostilities. All of his missions aren't chronicled in the book, but there are enough to satisfy anyone who wants to read what it was like to bomb and strafe less than 50 feet off the ground.
Very good book and worth picking up.
October 7, 2025
A Personal History
This book is almost like reading someone’s personal diary over their shoulder. It’s a unique insight into one man’s war experiences. Told in a homespun man, the story touches upon the personal family history of George Cooper, of the USAAF.
There is a certain lack of detail purists will find problematic. I did not, since I’ve read a large number of detailed histories of the Pacific War.
I think of this book as a sort of relief from the tedium associated with reading a highly detailed history. It’s a quick easy, rather interesting approach.
This book is almost like reading someone’s personal diary over their shoulder. It’s a unique insight into one man’s war experiences. Told in a homespun man, the story touches upon the personal family history of George Cooper, of the USAAF.
There is a certain lack of detail purists will find problematic. I did not, since I’ve read a large number of detailed histories of the Pacific War.
I think of this book as a sort of relief from the tedium associated with reading a highly detailed history. It’s a quick easy, rather interesting approach.
December 21, 2025
This is a book about combat that covers so much more. Knowing about his life growing up in the Philippines and his search for his family at the end added so much depth to the story. During the transfer of his squadron from training to the islands of the Pacific, three planes were lost; one just disappeared! I had no idea of how dangerous flying those planes could be.
August 3, 2020
Must Read Book
Fascinating true story of hero's and the facts and emotions of people living and dying during the war. This is an inside story of our history. The reader gets to live our war history through this well written book.
Fascinating true story of hero's and the facts and emotions of people living and dying during the war. This is an inside story of our history. The reader gets to live our war history through this well written book.
April 17, 2023
Great personal account
This a great personal account of a world War 2 bomber pilot. Very interesting in that the pilot flew B-25s, A-20s and A-26s and had personal stake in the re-taking of Manila.
This a great personal account of a world War 2 bomber pilot. Very interesting in that the pilot flew B-25s, A-20s and A-26s and had personal stake in the re-taking of Manila.
October 16, 2023
Jay Stout followed up his earlier book (Air Apaches) with an amazing first-person account of World War II in the Pacific. The comments from George Cooper (subject of the book) were poignant and added significance to this story.
December 3, 2021
An Engaging Account of War and the People Involved
This book is the history of a courageous American Flyer and the people he cared about. His life was filled with worry and pride.
This book is the history of a courageous American Flyer and the people he cared about. His life was filled with worry and pride.
October 8, 2024
"Jayhawk", just jumped into one of my Top 10 books of WWII. Outstanding from start to earth shattering ending! A real eye opener! 7 Stars!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews