{"product_id":"9781465397768","title":"WINGS OF TRU LOVE: A WWII B17 BALL-TURRET GUNNER MEMOIR","description":"Wings of Tru Love author Kenneth C Drinnon joined the  \u003cbr\u003eUnited States Army Air Force in 1943 and served in the  \u003cbr\u003eEuropean Theater as a B17 ball-turret gunner with the 8th  \u003cbr\u003eAir Force, 487th Heavy Bomb Group, and 838th Squadron.  \u003cbr\u003eHe fl ew thirty-four aerial combat missions form October 22,  \u003cbr\u003e1944 to February 28, 1945 over Nazi, Germany and attained  \u003cbr\u003ethe rank of Staff Sergeant before being discharged in 1945.  \u003cbr\u003eThere were several notable bombing missions, including  \u003cbr\u003ethe synthetic oil refi neries at Merseberg, Germany and  \u003cbr\u003eseveral against transportation facilities in support of the  \u003cbr\u003eArmy ground forces during the Battle of the Bulge, but  \u003cbr\u003ethe one most remembered by aviators of the 487th Bomb  \u003cbr\u003eGroup was December 24, 1944 when General Frederick  \u003cbr\u003eW. Castle was killed while leading a two thousand plane  \u003cbr\u003ebomber mission for the Eight Air Force and piloting the  \u003cbr\u003elead plane of the 487th Bomb Group. Both the 487th Bomb  \u003cbr\u003eGroup and the Luftwaffe suffered many casualties during  \u003cbr\u003ean aerial gun battle.","brand":"Xlibris Corporation","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47141236605168,"sku":"9781465397768","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781465397768_p0.jpg?v=1763685059","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781465397768","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}