Join author John Happ to learn about his book "The Navigation Case: Training, flying, and fighting the 1942-1945 New Guinea War"at the Duxbury Free Library. The book is about his father's experiences as a pilot during WWII. John describes the book's origin this way:

"When my Army Air Corps father passed several years ago I inherited a crusty leather briefcase full of meticulously saved documents and photos.

When asked about his service in WWII my father would merely say he was ‘a pilot in New Guinea’. He was such a mild mannered guy that I always thought he meant transport, hauling goods and men around...  I was shocked to learn that he was a combat pilot. In fact he flew 64 violent and deadly combat missions in what has come to be recognized as the first demonstration of air superiority, leading to the greatest campaign victory in the history of the U S Air Force.  At the end of his tour, with the world war still raging, he was rotated off the front lines to what was probably considered to be a benign transport role based at Stout Field in Indianapolis. From there he flew Battle of the Bulge wounded to hospitals closer to their native homes across the continental 48 United States. And while no one would argue that Medical Air Evacuation Transport missions were the same as combat missions, in that role he went missing, lost, completely unaccounted for..."