Jungle Ace: Col. Gerald R. Johnson, the USAAF's Top Fighter Leader of the Pacific War (2001) By John R. Bruning
 
The brief but accomplished life of Army Air Forces fighter ace Gerald Johnson (1920-1945) is the subject of John Bruning's latest book. Flying the powerful P-38 and possessing lethal shooting skill, Johnson shot down 24 Japanese aircraft in 265 combat missions during thirty-six months in the Pacific Theatre. At the age of 24, he commanded the highest-scoring fighter group in the Pacific, the 49th. With Dick Bong and Tommy McGuire, he formed an early triumvirate of 5th Air Force aces.
 
A fellow pilot later called him "the Luke Skywalker of my generation." Tragically, though Johnson had survived three combat tours, which included a mid-air collision with a Japanese aircraft and being shot down by friendly fire, the new father disappeared without a trace while flying a courier mission in bad weather one month after the war's end and shortly before his planned return home. At the time, he was one of the youngest full colonels in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
 
Hard Cover with Dust Jacket
259 pages
In Good Condition