Book Review: B-17 Memories - From Memphis Belle to Victory
In World War II, there were many ways to die. But nothing offered more fatal choices than being inside a B-17 bomber above Nazi-occupied Europe. From the hellish storms of enemy flak and relentless strafing of Luftwaffe fighters to mid-air collisions, mechanical failure, and simple bad luck, it's a wonder any man would volunteer for such dangerous duty. But many did. Some paid the ultimate price. 
And some made it home. Among the survivors was author James Lee Hutchinson, who, with great skill, chronicles his teenage experience as a B-17 radio/gunner on twenty combat missions with the 490th Bomb Group (H) Eighth Air Force.
Based on his memories, diaries, and interviews of other veterans, the author compiled short stories on B-17 Flying Fortress crews flying deadly missions to destroy German and Italian military targets.
Most of the gunners were teenagers and the average age of officers was twenty-four. Each story gives amazing accounts of fighter attacks, flak damage and those who survived being shot down only to become Prisoners of War. These are the boys - turned pilots, bombardiers, navigators, and gunners of the B-17s.
What is exceptional about the book is the author's ability to hold the reader's attention. He goes beyond the familiar tales of aerial heroism, capturing the sights and sounds, the toil and fear, the adrenaline and the pain of the American airmen who faced death with every mission. In this sides, meticulously-researched work, Hutchinson uncovers the true nature of fighting - and dying - in the skies over World War II. Eighth Air Force losses were among the highest of any military unit. In nearly four years of warfare all over the globe, suffered over 120,000 casualties with over 40,000 killed.
The author also incorporated stories of infantry troops who slogged through the heat, rain, and snow living off C-rations in battle after battle to gain and hold ground as they literally walked across Europe. Battles covered were D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, The Ardennes Forest, and many others. He also described the tragedy of death camps and the horrific massacre at Oradour-Sur-Glane. In a matter of a few hours, over 700 villagers were shot or burned alive by Nazi SS troops. After the war, the French government left the ruins of Oradour-Sur-Glane as a reminder of the horrors of war.
I highly recommend this carefully researched book of eyewitness testimony of virtually every aspect of life, both on the ground and in the air, experienced by combat airmen and infantrymen during World War II. One walks away from this book in awe at what these men went through psychologically as they prepared for and returned from their often daily bombing missions or deadly advance across Europe.
Mission Alter
By T/Sgt. James Lee Hutchinson
Mission alert, we're scheduled to fly
A day of combat: perhaps to die.
Early to bed for a restless night
We get the call before dawn's light.
Breakfast, briefing and out to our place
We pray to survive combat again.
Loaded bombers soar into the sky
Airmen on both side area going to die.
Many decades have passed
Since I hear mission alert last
But I remember those B-17 boys;
The deadly missions; the terrible noise.
Flax filled skies - enemy fighters too
Waited for bombers in WWII
Victory was won at a terrible cost
I salute the 26,000 who were lost.
Veteran WWII airmen share my tears
Our ranks grow thing with passing years.
Generations must know of their days of glory
And so I write to tell our story.
Reader Reviews
I bought this for my dad, and he loves it. Mr. Hutchinson came from the area where he grew up, and it was a wonderful way to learn about some of the events of WWII. Thanks for the great read.
~Shelley Hillon
Thank you, James Lee Hutchinson, for writing about the 'B-17 Memories from Memphis Belle to Victory.' I really enjoyed reading and learning so much about the WWII generation and the war. I am a Vietnam combat veteran (infantry) and I now think that I had it easy compared to what the 'Greatest Generation' went through in WWII. I have a great appreciation for what all of you did and hope to never forget it. I hope these stories live forever. Unfortunately, I also worry about the current generation, not really knowing or caring about what was accomplished. I am not sure we could, as a Nation, do what was done then. My hat is off to all of you.
~George J. Miller
I admire Mr. Hutchinson for writing this book and helping to ensure that we never forget the courage and sacrifices of these brave men.
~Linda K.
About the Author
James Lee Hutchinson grew up in a small town in the hills of southern Indiana in the Great Depression. His boyhood was much the same as that of many sixteen million men and women who served in World War II.
Home from the war at age twenty, he attended Indiana University on the G.I. Bill. Degrees include 1949 B.S in History and Journalism; 1952 Masters in Elementary Education; and 1967 EdS School Administration. He spent 37 years in public schools as an elementary teacher, Principal, and Assistant Superintendent.
He is the author of four books and a DVD interview on memories of his service in the 8th Army Air Corps. At age 91, he continues telling stories by writing newspaper articles, speaking at schools and civic groups.
To view a 14-minute video interview of the author, along with combat footage, go to https://vimeo.com/5183252.