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by James Paul Segel (Author)
A kid from Boston yearns to fly. In December, 1941, he graduates from Army Air Corps Flight school and is assigned to a fighter squadron. But fate and Pearl Harbor intervene, and he is assigned AMMISCA, the first Air Corps transports to fly the treacherous "Hump" from India to China (the CBI Theatre). So many planes and crews were lost that the route became known as "The Aluminum Trail." This is Jim Segel's fascinating story of adventures in the air and on the ground in the early days of the world's first Air Lift. It is filled with his insights about the place of the CBI in the larger context of the war in the pacific.
Author Biography
James Segel was born of immigrant parents in Boston in 1919. After graduating from High School, he attended law school and studied Engineering at MIT, in evenings, while working at various jobs to help support the family. He entered the Civilian Pilot Training program in 1940 and earned his private pilot license. He then went to work for Pratt and Whitney in their engine assembly department. That only whetted his appetite for flying, and in March 1941 he entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. On December 12, 1941, less than a week after Pearl Harbor, Jim received his wings and was assigned to a pursuit squadron, but then reassigned to multi-engine training. Thus began his career as a C-47 pilot, which quickly took him to the China-Burma-India theater with the first group of Transport Aircraft to be assigned to fly "The Hump". Jim flew over 50 missions in the riskiest flying conditions in the world. His C-47 also spent months within China, keeping the "Flying Tigers" in the fight with fuel, parts and ammunition. He was awarded the Distinguished Fly Cross (DFC) for his service. After his CBI experience, Jim returned to the States and became deeply involved in the introduction of the Curtiss C-46 "Commando" to operational service. After the cessation of hostilities, he completed several interesting assignments, and then left the Air Corps for a brief airline piloting experience, followed by many years in the sailing yacht business. Jim's first wife, Viola, who he married while in the Air Corps, became ill with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Sadly, Viola died of the disease at an early age. Jim's care-giving experience led him, with others in similar circumstances, to found the National Alzheimers Association. Jim sold his yacht sales business in 2000, at he age of 80 and quickly became bored. So, he decided to memorialize his Military experience, and began to write this book, based on his acute memory, letters to home and a daily diary. The draft lay dormant for over 15 years, until Jim's niece discovered their cousin, Richard Segel, through Ancestry.com. Richard became interested in Jim's story, and, with his daughter Eleanor, converted the early manuscript into this book. While other books have been written on "The Hump", the author believes this is the first to describe how the Airlift began.
