COMBAT RECON
5th Air Force Images from the SW Pacific 1943-45

by Robert J. Stava

with Foreword written by Jack Heyn,
photographer, 3rd Bomb Group, 5th Air Force

Step back in time and into the violent days of World War II in the Southwest Pacific. Based on Fifth Air Force photographer John Stava's collection, undiscovered until the mid 1990's, captured here is a broad scope of the war in the Southwest Pacific, from mundane and ordinary moments to white-knuckle combat rides. Follow him and his 5th AF colleagues as they traverse the war from the turning point days of early 1943 in New Guinea with the 5th Air Force Advon Lab to serving in the 17th Recon Bomber Group as a tail gunner in the liberation of the Philippines by spring 1945.

Presented here for the first time by Robert Stava, these images tell the story themselves - with more than a little help from the men who were there firsthand - of living and dying in a largely forgotten theatre of WWII.

Shipping strikes, strafing runs on airfields, U.S.O. shows and laundry getting done in a local river, it's all here for both the seasoned and novice reader alike, a collection of images guaranteed to broaden your perception of World War II history.

Book size 9" x 12"

Over 200 black and white images

144 pages

Available from:-

Schiffer Books

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

or check with your local book reseller