Arizona's Hispanic Flyboys 1941-1945

About the Book

World War II remains probably the most significant historical event of the 20th Century. It has been well documented in print and film over the last sixty years. Not much, however, has been written about Hispanics who served in uniform from 1941 through 1945. This is especially true of those who served in the so-called "glamorous" air corps of the US Army and Navy. This is documentary of Hispanic young men from Arizona who served as pilots, navigators, bombardiers, flight engineers, gunners, and radio operators. Hispanics make up the largest ethnic minority in Arizona. Many of Arizona's Hispanics served valiantly in ground and sea forces during WWII, and today, in the Hispanic community as elsewhere, their service is remembered proudly. Less well known, however, is the contribution made by those young men in the elite volunteer services that fought the war from above.

About the Author

Rudy Villarreal is a native of Morenci, Arizona. A graduate of Northrop Institute of Technology, he is retired after 30 years in the aerospace industry, having worked for Douglas, Lockheed and Allied Signal. He served in the US ARMY from 1964 to 1966. Rudy and his wife Mary Ellen live in Tempe, Arizona.

COVER DESIGN

David Villarreal, nephew of the author, designed the book cover. He is a graduate of The Art Center Design College in Tucson, Arizona. Shown on the front cover are shoulder insignia for each Air Force unit in the US Army Air Corps during WWII.