Sailors in the Sky: Memoir of a Navy Aircrewman in the Korean War

by Jack Sauter, Edward Peary Stafford (Foreword by)

Overview

"On previous flight ops, when a launch was delayed, we usually passed the time telling jokes or exchanging the latest scuttlebutt. Tonight was different. Each of us sat silently with our own thoughts. All of us, I'm sure, made impossible promises to God, and I was one of them. My gut was wound so tight, it was hard to breathe, no less talk. For the umpteenth time, I tightened the harness of my chute. I remember praying, 'Whatever else happens, don't make me bail out of this thing!'"

With little to no recognition from the general public, navy enlisted aircrewmen performed heroically in the Korean War. Manning radios and radar, they were indispensable to the success of missions. Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Jack Sauter was one such aircrewman. Assigned to the USS Midway and the USS Lake Champlain, he flew twenty-one early warning and antisubmarine missions from the backseat of a Douglas Skyraider with Task Force 77 off Korea in support of our troops.

From the excitement and thrill of being catapulted from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the tedium of service at sea, the author describes in detail his service in the Korean air war.

Jack Sauter was an aviation electronics technician during the Korean War and is the president and editor of the USS Lake Champlain Association Inc. Edward Peary Stafford is a retired commander in the U.S. Navy and the author of The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803238312
Publisher:	UNP - Bison Books
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Pages:	318
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jack Sauter was an aviation electronics technician during the Korean War and is the president and editor of the USS Lake Champlain Association Inc. Edward Peary Stafford is a retired commander in the U.S. Navy and the author of The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Edward Peary Stafford
Preface
Prologue
BOOK ONE
1. Taking the First Step
2. Civies to Blues
3. Tennessee Waltz
4. Memphis Belle
5. Virginia Interlude
6. Rhode Island Reunion
7. Guppyland
8. The Best-Kept Secret
9. Settling In
10. A Medical Detour
BOOK TWO
11. Underway
12. First Carrier Flight
13. First Port
14. Weekend in Paris
15. Getting to Know You
16. Prelude to Korea
17. The Champ
18. Death at Sea
19. First Liberty
20. A New World
21. Crossing the Line
22. Rained Out
BOOK THREE
23. The Real Thing
24. Hitting the Beach
25. The Last Act
26. Peace and a New Skipper
27. A Summing Up
28. "We All Hear You, Dick"
29. A Mountain in the Clouds
30. Hong Kong Holiday
31. A Last Look
32. Retracing Our Steps
33. Europe Again
34. Homeward Bound
35. Home Again
Epilogue
Bibliography
Military History of the Author
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Sauter's experiences are entertaining, and true to his experience in writing the book, highly gratifying. Sailors in the Sky is a worthy addition to any aviation (especially naval aviation) library and is highly recommended."—Mark L. Morgan, Journal of America's Military Past

Journal of America's Military Past - Mark L. Morgan

"Sauter's experiences are entertaining, and true to his experience in writing the book, highly gratifying. Sailors in the Sky is a worthy addition to any aviation (especially naval aviation) library and is highly recommended."—Mark L. Morgan, Journal of America's Military Past

— Mark L. Morgan

Journal of America's Military Past

"interesting...a thrilling and pleasant read"

USA Today

a rare look into the lives...the enlisted aircrewmen, the non-flying personnel who provide unfailing technical expertise

Wings of Gold