Giants Over Korea: A Sky Too Far

The Korean War January 1952-A solitary B-29, flying low, its engines muffled by the night works its way through the bitter cold darkness over the Yellow Sea. Banking to the East, it cautiously approaches the Korean coast and slips unseen into the shadowy blackness over North Korea. Ahead, the sinister unknown lies in wait. So begins the first of two missions in Giants Over Korea. The first told from an enlisted crew member's point of view. Left over from World War II, this propeller driven giant, now tired and worn, is pressed into service and lumbers into a jet age air war. From the beginning of the Korea War to its end, it tirelessly flies missions inthe hostile skies so out classed and vulnerable to the deadly MiG that it cannot operate in the daylight but must hide in the darkness of night. From the muted vibrations of the airframe to the stark reality of death, each page contains anecdotes that intrigue and illuminate the experience of the few involved in the war that created the expression "the cold war." To the crews of these four engine giants, the Korean War was un-winnable and unforgettable. Although some call it the 'Forgotten War', the hostilities that began the conflict fifty years ago stills molder today. Giants Over Korea takes the reader on board a bombing B-29 and are con sortie in the mist of the conflict with remarkable depth. The bombing raid has a tragic beginning, and is told from the officers' perspective with frightening detail. Photographs from the author's own collection and articles from 'Stars and Stripes' supplement the narrative, documenting the little-known role played by the big war birds in the 'little war.' The author collected the photos and clippings a half century ago when was stationed on the island of Okinawa, the origin of the two missions.