FIGHTER ACE ESTATE ITEM author signed WW2 BOOK ACES JAPAN HAMMEL

Description

FIGHTER ACE ESTATE ITEM author signed WW2 BOOK ACES JAPAN HAMMEL
FIGHTER ACE ESTATE ITEM author signed WW2 BOOK ACES JAPAN HAMMEL
AUTHOR SIGNED PRESENTATION TO WW2 NAVY ACE WHOSE PERSONAL NARRATIVE APPEARS IN BOOK (PAGES 123-140)
ACES AGAINST JAPAN II
THE AMERICAN ACES SPEAK VOLUME III
By Eric Hammel - SIGNED BY AUTHOR
Printed in 1996
302 pages  - Hardcover (9 inches - 23 cm tall)
CONDITION: Acceptable, wear from reading bit of dampstaining to bottom corner of pages.
Cmdr. W. Robert Maxwell USNR (Ret.) (1919-2016) was a U. S. Navy pilot and WW2 ace.
Partial Obituary:
Cmdr. W. Robert Maxwell, USNR (Ret.) passed away peacefully at his home Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Bob was born July 1, 1919, in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, grew up in Wausau, graduated from Wausau High School in 1937 and employed by Employers Mutual of Wausau. He enrolled in the University of Wisconsin in 1938. When the war with Japan broke out, he entered the Navy's V-5 flight program and was sworn in on April 18, 1941. He completed the school year and on July 1, 1941, he, along with thirty other University of Wisconsin students known as "The Flying Badgers," reported for flight training at Glenview, Illinois.
After training at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Bob went on the Navy's Fighter Finishing School at Opa-Locka, Florida and earned his Navy Wings of Gold and Ensign's commission on May 12th, 1942. After Carrier Qualification at San Diego Naval Air Station, he was assigned to fighter squadron VF-11 flying Grumman Wildcats.
Bob arrived at Guadalcanal on April 26, 1943. Bob's combat debut was a strike on the Japanese airdrome at Mundo on New Georgia Island and a search and rescue mission. During this he was involved with a mid-air collision with one of his division planes, forcing him to bail out at 14,000 feet. He spent three days at sea in a one-man raft before getting ashore. After eight days he was eventually rescued by friendly natives who took him to the local coast watcher and returned to his unit. On May 2, Bob was one of sixteen F4F Hellcats from VF-11 to provide cover for a strike force of bomber and torpedo planes to attack the island of Mundo.
On June 19, Bob shot down a Judy dive-bomber and was credited a Judy probable in defense of Task Force 58. Four days later, Bob achieved Ace status when he downed three Tony Interceptors in a late afternoon dogfight near Task Force 58. Bob, now a division leader, downed a Japanese Betty twin-engine bomber and an Emily four-engine flying boat while escorting a lifeguard patrol near Tinian. Later, on October 17, 1944, Bob downed a Tony at sea off Luzon for a final tally of seven kills plus one probable. His combat engagements involved Guadalcanal, Marcus and Wake Islands, The Marianas, Palau, Bonin Islands, Luzon, Formosa, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Jima and Iwo Jima. After completing his combat tour with VF-51, he was assigned to the Advance Fighter Training Base at Daytona Beach, Florida as a fighter instructor.
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