Navy Wings of Gold

by F. Willard Robinson

A WWII Naval Aviator's true account of ferocious combat, enduring love and miraculous survival in the south Pacific. This book is much more than a description of aerial combat in WWII and the author's miraculous survival after being forced to ditch at sea carrying a plane full of depth charges that would not release. It is much more than the account the Navy submitted to Ripley's Believe It Or Not. It is much more than the wonderful presentation of U.S Naval History that incited the U. S. Navy to invite the author to lecture at Annapolis following the release of this book. This is primarily the story of everything a young man and his new wife went through as he was transformed from a carefree college boy to a brave and well trained defender of his country. The book also includes eight chapters about other WWII aviators and a chapter written by Joan, the author's wife, who gives a sensitive description of how WWII effected the lives of the combatant's loved ones.

342 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were 1000's of pilots who flew the Grumman Avenger during WW2 - Robinson is one of them. On the surface, it might not seem like he had a remarkable career, but when you look more closely, you see he had some pretty remarkable circumstances. He participated in naval reserve flight training in Alaska, worked as a pilot in noted rocketeer Jack Parson's work for the US Navy, and survived a remarkable crash that killed his 2 aircrewman. Robinson's memoir brings forward his training experience, personal life getting married, recovery from wounds, and service on an escort carrier.
Then there is more to the book - Robinson includes memoirs from a number of family members and friends who give their perspective - engineering officer on a surface ship, Catalina pilot, Avenger pilot in the Solomons, fighter pilot, and spouse.
A worthwhile, interesting read.