The Able Queen: Memoirs of an Indiana Hump Pilot Lost in the Himalayas

by Rainy Horvath, Robert Binzer, Carl Weidenburner (Foreword by)

Overview

A tale of survival and adventure, this rare first-person eyewitness account of a young man's experiences as a Combat Transport Pilot in China during World War II tells the tale of a young boy who follows his call to become a pilot and enlists in the 14th Airforce in the service of his country for the adventure of a lifetime. As a new pilot, he follows the deadly call of the Aluminum Trail. Follow him on his dangerous daily missions across the ocean from Indiana to India, then China where he rescues downed pilots, dodges air raids, delivers critical war supplies under fire, and finally steps out the door of his failing craft, "Able Queen," to become one of those in need of rescue. This book makes history come to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781736163405
Publisher:	Perfect Storm Press
Publication date:	12/08/2020
Pages:	142
Sales rank:	270,694
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Rainy Horvath holds an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Arts from Manhattanville College. After completing an award-winning career as a Technical Writer and Instructional Designer for Fortune 500 companies from Silicon Alley to Wall Street, Rainy turned her talents to her first love, creative writing. The year she spent collecting, researching, and completing her late father, Robert Binzer's war memories led her on a fascinating quest into a little-known corner of World War II to complete her first book, The Able Queen. She is now at work on her second and third books.

Table of Contents

Foreword.................................................................. ix

Preface...................................................................... xi

Childhood Flights of Fancy...................................... 1

I Enlist...................................................................... 9

Pearl Harbor........................................................... 19

Wheels Up Over the Himalayas............................. 25

Hard Landing.......................................................... 33

The 27th Troop Carrier Squadron............ ........... 41

Jingbao!.................................................................. 45

Christmas Mission................................................... 51

Dog Fight on the Salween Front............................. 55

Troop Carrier Mission 5: Up a River without a Tail. 63

The Liangshan B-29s.............................................. 75

The Able Queen...................................................... 79

Finding Lost Crew Members............................................... 93

The Villagers................................................................................ 97

The Rescue Party....................................................................... 101

Riding with the Chinese Army........................................... 104

Seeing Ghosts............................................................................. 108

All Landings are Happy Landings........................ 111

Flying Again - Project Dribble.............................. 121

Epilogue / Reflections............................................ 125

Afterword: A Perspective on War.............................129

Reference.................................................................. 133

China Place Names - Map................................................... 133

Glossary.......................................................................................... 134

Permissions/Acknowledgements................... 138

Editorial Reviews

03/29/2021

Rainy Horvath's stirring first-person celebration of her father—Robert “Bob” Binzer—follows his wartime experiences as a pilot in the Army Air Corps Unit (the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force) during World War II. As a youngster, Binzer was enthralled by the sight of airplanes soaring above Chicago and did everything he could to pass training so he could enlist, including memorizing the eye chart with the help of his ophthalmologist father. Describing him as “a boy from Indiana who always dreamed of flying and one day got his wish,” Horvath presents in Binzer’s own words his time spent performing military missions over the Himalayas.

Binzer was thrilled to be assigned to China, despite it being one of the most dangerous areas to fly, on an aerial route known as “The Hump,” a passageway running through the Himalayas where topography, weather, and the occupying Japanese forces all posed constant threats. From his memory of trying to land at Chungking in difficult terrain to losing a rudder when flying through wires strung up to deter Japanese planes, Binzer’s straight-talking storytelling transports the readers d into the cockpit of his “Able Queen.” Expect to cringe at the vulnerability of Binzer and his crew as they traverse along the Aluminum Trail (the route between China and India strewn with crashed planes) and be mesmerized by their final flight—ending in parachuting from the plane after running out of fuel—that catapulted Binzer into his most dangerous adventure.

This unpretentious memoir also surveys Binzer’s memories of growing up during the hard times before the war. His admiration and gratitude for the Chinese peasants who aided Americans in the fight is inspirational, and essays by historians Carl W. Weidenburner and Dr. David T. Fletcher add welcome perspective. This well-researched memoir of a quiet hero is a gem for fans of World War II history.

Takeaway: This memoir of a World War II pilot offers a portrait of extraordinary courage.

Great for fans of: James M. Scott’s Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor, John R. Bruning’s Race of Aces: WWII’s Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: B+ Illustrations: A Editing: B Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

The large print made this book very easy to read. Kudos to the author for this consideration. History really comes alive here. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for both the history - a lot of which I had previously known little about - and the way it was written. You feel like you're sitting across from a friend listening to his adventures. I passed the book on to my wife and she really liked it too. Highly recommend. (Wd Moore)

From the Publisher