One of Thousands: A Navigator In the European Air War

Jules "e;Julie"e; Lasner volunteered for service after the United States entered World War II, and he was trained as a navigator in a B-17 Flying Fortress. Lasner flew twenty-seven missions over occupied Europe during the final phases of a strategic bombing campaign against Germany, dodging the Luftwaffe s anti-aircraft defenses in the cold, wintry skies. Based on interviews with Lasner as well as his wartime correspondence, this book offers a glimpse into his experiences as a member of the 8th Air Force. Along with thousands of others, he pounded the Third Reich around the clock in a four-engine bomber over the last eight months of the war. This account offers an insider s look into the state of the German air defenses as well as some of the effects of the strategic bomb offensive. Lasner s story shows that one person s experiences and decisions affect many people, and it also reveals how he was affected by total war. Go beyond the statistics that so often dehumanize conflict with One of Thousands.