Swordfish-Able-Leader

About the Book

Swordfish-Able-Leader is the pseudonym for a Lead Command Pilot of the 91st Bomb Group. This Book, Swordfish Able Leader, describes 30 bombing missions flown by Capt. Ray M. Brown and his aircrew in B-17G Bomber Aircraft in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in 1944.

Swordfish-Able-Leader is a fascinating war story that personalizes the experiences and lifestyle drama of young American pilots through the air battles and bombing missions of WWII in Europe.

The author cleverly illuminates detail information about bomber operations with seldom-known historical data about World War II throughout the entire book.

Swordfish-Able-Leader was written by the pilot, not a staff or ghost writer, who expresses he experiences with the prose of the period. Many of the details of the missions are horrifying and illustrate the deadly "life and death" game or air combat. Capt. Brown is the sole survivor of his lead aircrew, eight were killed in air combat.

Readers will find themselves relating to the evolving lifestyle and combat experiences in a personal way as the author takes you by the hand, step-by-step through a year of war. Many veterans were quiet about their combat experiences. This personalization is intended to stimulate the memories of veterans who experienced air combat and bombing missions, as well as to provide families with lost air veterans an idea of what their fathers or grandfathers experienced.

When readers have completed this saga of air combat and bombing experiences, they will be among the most informed persons about "what really happened" during this historic period.

About the Author

The author, Ray M. Brown, was born in Fresno, California and now resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He graduated from Stanford University where he specialized in medicine and engineering. He added management skills to his background by participating in graduate business school executive sessions at Harvard University and Michigan State University.

During his undergraduate years he was a world-class athlete in track and field. His professional experience was largely in commercial and military research and development of advanced technology. He was employed as a Senior Scientist with Rockwell International and later organized his own consulting firm, specializing in the new technologies of the 2000's.

He was distinguished in his flying and command skills in combat during World War II in the European Theater of Operation (ETO) receiving three Distinguished Flying Crosses and five Air Medals. He was particularly noted for his Lead Pilot skills where he commanded large B-17 Bomber formations often exceeding 1000 aircraft.

At 87 years of age, he is now retired, in good health, and enjoys the company of his twin daughters and wife of 54 years.