Guest Posted 15 January , 2019 Share Posted 15 January , 2019 (edited) Easy prey for German planes, observation balloons flew a half-mile over the trenches, spying on the enemy and directing Allied fire. Today, a reader will not find a lone page about them in 100 histories of WWI. This book aims to remedy the national amnesia about the US Army’s Balloon Service and its value in that war by focusing on the experiences of a single balloon soldier—my father, Private Austin Walter Johnson. E.L. Doctorow wrote, “The historian will tell you what happened; the novelist will tell you what it felt like.” Here, Austin tells what WWI felt like as a member of the Army’s elite Balloon Service. However, Austin never talked about what happened to him in France. His story needed a “voice,” so I have told his story for him. Austin in the Great War will inform, amuse, shock, and inspire, by turns. Only after ten years of research did details emerge of the horrors that scarred this naïve Nebraska farm boy in mind and soul.Sixteen original maps and 350 photos—dozens never seen before—illustrate the daring life of America’s “balloonatics.” Only 17 balloon outfits saw battle. This book explores their vital contribution to the war effort, shows how hard these forgotten airmen fought, and describes their fate after the 1918 Armistice. Austin returned to a strange home and a mind undone by the bloodshed he and a million other men witnessed. In the end a stronger force—the power of love—asserted itself. The Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum Library has just requested Austin in the Great War. The San Diego Air and Space Museum library now has it on its shelves, and the National WWI Museum and Library in Kansas City has carried it since last summer. Austin in the Great War has received glowing reviews on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Austin-Great-War-Nebraska-Balloon/dp/0999634712#customerReviews I will be pleased to answer such questions on Great War ballooning as I can, commensurate with what knowledge I’ve acquired and the demands on my time. Robert Eugene Johnson Author, Austin in the Great War (2018) Edited 15 January , 2019 by Guest Add further information of value and interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now