Warbird Information Exchange

One of my hobbies to go along with my interest in military related stuff is having books I have read (some aviation related and some not) signed by the authors. My most cherished signed books are the ones signed by the veterans themselves who have written or co-written books. Some of the signitures I have obtained down through the years are: Col. Robert Scott "God is my Co-Pilot",Col. Robert Morgan "The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle", Belton Cooper "Death Traps", Harry Crosby "A Wing and A Prayer", Fred Olivi, "Decision at Nagasaki", Tex Hill "Tex Hill Flying Tiger", Gabby Gabreski "Gabby A Fighter Pilots Life", Gunther Rall "Gunther Rall: a Memoir", Bob Slaughter "Omaha Beach and Beyond", J K Havener "The Martin B-26 Marauder", Gen Charles Sweeney "War's End" and Col. Paul Tibbets "Return of the Enola Gay". Good god I have more that I thought. There are others I have buried on bookshelves. Anyone else have such a hobby? I would love to hear of some of the other signitues you have obtained.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I have only one autographed aviation book: "Check Six: A Fighter Pilot Looks Back" by Frederick C. "Boots" Blesse, M/Gen USAF (Retired). It's a hardcover first edition with dust jacket, published by the Champlin Fighter Museum Press in 1987. The inscription reads: "To Charlie Hamm: One of the best fighter pilots to ever squeeze into a "G" suit. Hope this brings back a few good memories. Boots Blesse". General Blesse scored ten kills in Korea flying F-86 Sabre jets, and went on to fly in Viet Nam.

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

I love inscribed books, too. I've got three that are aviation related.

The first is Richard Drury's book about flying the Skyraider in VN, My Secret War, the second is Chick's Crew by Ben Smith, and the last is Sole Survivor by George Gay, the only man who survived Torpedo 8's action at Midway.

Having George Gay's signiture is an awesome thing to have!

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Books by authors signed that I have are:

Paul Tibbets (Enola Gay),
Boone Guyton (Whistling Death),
Tex Hill (Tex Hill: Flying Tiger),
George Gay (Sole Survivor),
Charles Sweeney (War's End),
Gabreski ("Gabby" with Zemke & Johnson included),
James Lovell (Lost Moon),
Henry Cooper, Jr. (13: the Flight that Failed)
Tom Blackburn (Jolly Rogers),
Harold Rochette (8th Air Force Lottery),
Samuel Beamon (Flying Death),
William Guenon Jr. (Secret and Dangerous, Night of the Son Tay POW Raid),
and an older book, Count Luckner, The Sea Devil, 1927 signed by Felix Graf von Luckner, the WWI Sea Devil himself!

Wish I had more!
Lot's of other signatures on various other items.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

I've been collecting signed books for many years, too, Pat, as you know. I have two categories, aviation and space. Here they are: AVIATION: Gen. Paul Tibbets "Return of the Enola Gay", Maj. Gen. Charles Sweeney "War's End", Gen. Gunther Rall "A Memoir", Tex Hill "Flying Tiger", Lt. Col. Fred Olivi "Decision at Nagasaki", Col. Robert Morgan "The Memphis Belle Home at Last" and "The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle", Col. Clarence "Bud" Anderson "To Fly and Fight, Memoirs of a Triple Ace", Gen. Chuck Yeager "Yeager" and "Press On", R.A. "Bob" Hoover "Forever Flying", Col. Charles McGee "Tuskegee Airman" also signed by Lee Archer, LtCdr. Everett Hargreaves "Son of a Preacher, A Hellcat Ace's Memoirs", Joseph Lovoi "Listen My Children and Stay Free", Col. Richard Graham "SR-71 Blackbird, Stories, Tales and Legends" and ""SR-71 Revealed, The Inside Story", Fitz Fulton "North American XB-70", Scott Crossfield signed a NASA X-15 Flight Log for me. SPACE: Scott Carpenter "For Spacious Skies", Eugene Cernan "The Last Man on the Moon", Charlie Duke "Moonwalker", Harrison Schmitt "Return to the Moon", Jim Lovell "Lost Moon, The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13", Alan Bean "Apollo, An Eyewitness Account". Not enough room here to list my prints signed by aviators and astronauts, mostly moonwalkers. I've had the honor of meeting all of the above listed except two, Sweeney and Rall.

I've got several. My favorites are:

From Pearl Harbor to Golgotha signed by Mitsou Fuchida

and

DeShazer - signed by DeShazer

Ryan

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

An excellant collection Rich! Welcome to the WIX.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I have some autographed books as well. A couple of my most prized are a copy of The Black Sheep signed in-person by several members of the famed Squadron and a signed copy of Apollo 11 LMP Michael Collins (very difficult to obtain) courtesy of the Smithsonian. However, most of my aviation autographs are on photos and covers. Those are much easier and cheaper to mail out. A sampling of my collection is here:
http://www.picturetrail.com/bdk65

BK

I also have Tex Hills autobiography but with a twist.............I also have Mazies' autograph. PS her memorial service is this Friday.

Michael Collins was the Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot, Buzz Aldrin was LMP.

OMG, that is an outstanding collection. It would make many museums jealous!

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Great collection, BK!!!

Hey Rich, Remember when we saw Scott Crossfield giving a talk at Oshkosh and he said,"Destroy All Warbirds"?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Wow, some awesome stuff guys!

I've only got two - "In The Company Of Heroes" by Michael Durant (met him at a book signing & got his autograph at Eglin AFB) and also "Dustoff" by MoH winner Michael Novosel (met him & got his autograph at a book signing at a bar in Ft. Walton Beach, FL).

-Derek