Draft:God is my Co-Pilot (1943 Book)

God is my Co-Pilot is a 1943 book written by Robert Lee Scott, Jr, on his experiences fighting in China and India during the Second World War. Written by Scott, it features a foreword from Flying Tiger's commander Claire Chennault.

Plot

Childhood and Early days in the Military

Scott begins the story by recalling his days a child in Macon, Georgia, flying model planes. He recalls he crashed a model plane into the church bushes, which he refers to as "The only ship I would ever crash". He would later be endorsed to attend the military academy at West Point, after graduation in 1932 he would take odd jobs, flying airmail over the cold air of Cleveland. He would become a flight instructor at Kelly Field and various bases in California.

Outbreak of War in the East

"...fighting for the American girl..."

After the United States declared war over Japan after Pearl Harbor in 1941, Scott recalls to the reader his excitement over the prospect of flying combat planes, being able, in his words, "fighting for the American girl, Democracy, Coca-Cola...and the American way of life." He is then told that he is too old to fly, which he then expresses his frustration, as while at Kelly Field, he was too young to fly; now, he was too old to participate in aerial combat. He would then recall hearing about Task Force Aquila, which was running bombing missions of Japan from China. He agreed to go on the mission, lying about the fact he knew how to fly a B-16. He had his co-pilot teach him to fly the bomber, in which he recalls the shock of his crew when he told them that the crew was to teach Scott to fly the plane he signed up to fly.

Upon landing in India, Scott and his crew where told that the Task Force Aquila was cancelled, and was grounded in India for the time being. Desperate for flying time, he agrees to take on the "odd job" of flying "The Hump" over India to supply the KMT in China, whose operations he would later command.

Realizing the Skytrains flying over "The Hump" had no fighter escorts, Scott successfully convinced AVG commander Claire Chennault to loan him a P-40. He flew the "ship" (as he referred to all of his planes) to escort the cargo planes over the Himalayas, learning aerial combat tactics from other AVG members firsthand. Colonel Chennault, while observing the thoughts of his men, saw Scott as a good leader, so, later in the year, after many days of begging by Scott, Chennault gave Scott command of the 23rd Fighter Group, a hodge-podge of new recruits and men left over from the Army Air Corps consolidation of the Flying Tigers, flying with the likes of Colonel "Tex" Hill.

Commander of the 23rd

Upon taking command of the 23rd in late 1942, he began flying combat missions over China with his group, where he instantly became popular with the men. He flew a many a sortie vs enemy resources over China, and he tells the reader the sadness and human aspect of war, touching on how the group was touched and saddened during the military of their comrades. He recalls how the Chinese villagers pulled a P-40 out of the water using just ropes and string. He also recalls some of his 388 combat missions he flew against the Japanese between 1942 and 1943. He totaled, during that time, 22 kills against his Japanese opponents.

He concludes his book by citing John Gillespie's High Flight, as he discusses the start of one more mission, taking off in his P-40.

Writing

In 1943, the US Department of Defense realized the morale lift that the story of a hardscrabble boy fighting the Japanese would have on the home front, which was already beginning to grow weary of war. In 1943, his command of the 23rd was recalled, and Scott went home, where for the first couple of weeks, he made speeches and helped to sell war bonds around the nation. The DoD would later ask him then to write a story on his experience, however, the colonel was becoming weary of home and wanted to fight. He agreed he would tell his story, but only if he would be allowed into the field of combat soon afterwards. In three days, he recorded his entire written manuscript on the book into a tape. That tape would be transcribed and published by Blue Ribbon Books of New York, and officially published in late 1943.

Public Reception

After the publishing of the book, overall reception to the book was extremely positive. The book sold out often and would often require reprintings to keep up with the American Public, who where hungry for stories of successful war heroes. Since the book was used as wartime propaganda, the book was considered an instant success by the Army Air Corp and the American public. For many school-aged boys living during the war, "this was the first book that they ever read without pictures", and Scott's vivid imagery of flying created aerial combat enthusiasts out of these school-aged boys.

The New York Times reviewed the book, (July 25th, 1943 FOR LIBRARY REFERENCE FOR POTENTIAL MICROFILMING)

Some historians consider Scott's work more folklore than truth, as Scott was known for telling tall tales.

Film

A film version of the same name, starring Dennis Morgan as Scott, and directed by Robert Florey, was filmed in 1944 using the book as an inspiration. It would premier on February 21, 1945, in Macon, Georgia. Reviews for the film ranged from mixed to mostly-positive, which could be attributed to World War II.

See Also

• Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
• American Volunteer Group
• 23rd Fighter Group