Jungle Ace: the Story of One of the USAAF's Great Fighter Leaders, Col Gerald R. Johnson

Military Review, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Ted J. Bechncke

John R. Bruning, Brassey's Inc., Washington, DC, 2001, 320 pages, $26.95.

The American public became fascinated with World War II aviation heroes--aces--who, through skill and a great deal of luck, destroyed five or more aircraft in aerial combat. Heralded in newspapers, magazines, and on the radio, aces were elite, modern knights who engaged in combat on an individual level while mastering the technical skills of the most advanced aircraft of the time. Their efforts and aerial achievements were substantive proof to the U.S. public that the war was being won. As a reward, the Nation showered the pilots with acclaim and fanfare.

Among the flying aces were the elite of the elite--the men who each had more than 20 aerial victories. Among these courageous and talented individuals was Gerald Johnson, a man whose life and story is today virtually unknown. In Jungle Ace: The Story of One of the USAAF'S Great Fighter Leaders, John R. Bruning details Johnson's life. Bruning begins the story by describing Johnson's youth in Eugene, Oregon. Johnson entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940.

The naivete of a relatively young nation could clearly be seen through the eyes and experience of America's youth at the time. Survivors of the Great Depression, they were simple in their opinion about world affairs but resolved to do whatever was needed to preserve their way of life. America grew up, and so did they. Bruning captures this feeling and provides an excellent reminder of the time.

Bruning describes the finer points of air cadet training and the conditions found in a young, inexperienced air corps. Surprising, the trainers of the earliest combat pilots were civilians, as Johnson's experiences well illustrate. The realization that the United States was not ready for war, coupled with an attitude that it could accomplish what was required, helped produce the best combat force in the world.

Johnson's first taste of combat occurred in Alaska, where he shot down two enemy planes over the Aleutians Islands. Johnson's time in Alaska was a formative experience. He sharpened the combat skills that he later used to great advantage in the Pacific. Pilots were being lost at an incredible rate in the Pacific, and Johnson arrived just when his talents were most needed. He quickly became a group leader and an ace. His unit ended the war with more Japanese kills than any other Army Air Corps unit. When Johnson was only 24, he was already a colonel.

Johnson survived the war, but he died in a weather-related accident just 3 months after the war's end. Although Johnson has been largely forgotten, Jungle Ace faithfully tells his story.

MAJ Ted J. Behncke, USA, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas