Pacifica Military History Free Sample Chapters.pmd

44 Pacifica Military History
Ace!
A Marine Night-Fighter Pilot in World War II
By Colonel R. Bruce Porter with Eric Hammel
“My first time at the controls of the N3N was a nightmare of jerky,
uncoordinated movements, over-corrections, needless exertions, and redfaced
certainty that I did not, in fact, have the right stuff. The instructor
calmly got me—and himself—out of trouble and never uttered a sound
of dismay. Until we were safely on the ground. Then he looked at me—
a wet rag, sweating fear and embarrassment into my bulky flight suit—
and said just the thing to make my day: ‘Porter, you will never solo. You
are the dumbest cadet I have ever laid eyes on.’”
Ace! is Bruce Porter’s life as a Marine combat fighter pilot—from
his earliest days as a naval aviation cadet before World War II, to his
adventures guarding America’s forwardmost defense line in the South
Pacific, to his aerial combat over the Solomons. Follow Bruce Porter
through his exacting night-fighter training and fly with him on his rare
double-kill night mission over Okinawa in 1945.
Colonel Robert Bruce Porter, USMCR (Ret) reported for his Last
Flight on April 20, 2009.
What the Marine Aces said about Ace!
“From flight training, Bruce Porter’s aeronautical skills as a Marine
day- and night-fighter pilot defined the term—fighter ace! Bruce’s book
reflects the keen, analytical mind of a fighter pilot’s technical skills
projected into combat. This book is a ‘must’ for anyone interested in
combat aviation history.” ———Col Jeff De Blanc, Marine Medal of
Honor recipient
“[In his book], Bruce relives the challenges, frustrations, and triumphs
of training, on to his victories in the Corsair in the Solomons, and then
on to attain ace status with a flourish at Okinawa. Read and enjoy a