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thedrifter
02-26-06, 10:38 AM
Marines with air power profiled
Charleston Post Courier

Reviewer Michael A. Green, an engineering technician for The Post and Courier

MARINE AIR: The History of the Flying Leathernecks in Words and Photos. By Robert Dorr. Berkeley Caliber Books. 320 pages. $24.95.

When people think of the Marines, they usually conjure up images of men hitting the beach, or stalwart presidential and embassy guards. They don't normally associate the Marines with air power. But the Marine Corps has had pilots flying in our country's defense since World War I.

The usual job of Marine pilots is support of troops engaged with the enemy on the ground. Close air support is an incredibly difficult task that requires the precise placement of ordnance on the enemy in proximity to our troops. The Marine pilots have been dedicated to this mission since their first flights.

Through 73 interviews with pilots from World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Robert Dorr brings to life stories rarely heard by the public. These accounts are broken down by plane type and date, from fighting Zeroes in the Pacific in F4F Wildcats and dueling MiGs over Korea to destroying tanks in the Iraqi desert in F/A-18s. These are some of the best stories of aerial combat from the actual pilots.

Ellie