Those who love the story of the Eager Beavers typically do for a few reasons: the crew’s courage, their dedication and loyalty, their indomitable, scrappy spirit. Those are traits they share, of course, with so many of their peers in the U.S. Air Force who either found themselves thrust into, or in the case of so many, thrust themselves into the fight against the Axis powers in World War II.
Simply put, they weren’t alone.
On that score, I have to highlight the forthcoming book by my great friend Joseph Bowman, one I think fans of the Eager Beavers will want to know about. It’s another example of a lifelong commitment to getting the real story of real heroes out to the public.
That book is Bravest of the Brave, Vol. 1, the product of over thirty years of research into all sixty-two U.S. Air Force Medal of Honor recipients. For the first time, their full lives, from birth to death, with special sections devoted to their Medal of Honor actions, are presented using the most up-to-date research, including dozens of personal interviews done by Joe himself. It is truly a monumental achievement, as the cover alone shows.
Joe and I crossed paths over fifteen years ago when our research into the Eager Beavers led us both to the 43rd BG discussion boards (sadly no longer available). I was blown away by the research he’d amassed himself about Zeamer and Sarnoski, and he was impressed by how much I knew about the other crew members he’d never been able to talk to. The result was an ongoing collaboration into getting the story right, with me continuing to dive more into the Eager Beavers while he dove into the rest of his subjects for his book.
Because of my first-hand knowledge of Joe’s research and writing, my dad was pleased to publish Joe’s earlier book about his ancestor who received the Medal in World War I, Quietly Exploding. Based on the that, we were happy—if daunted—to bring his Bravest of the Brave series to life. Having read and edited every chapter in the book, I can personally attest to its incredible thoroughness and balance. The only way to learn more about these heroic individuals is to read a book dedicated to each one.
The book is set to be published next month in conjunction with National Medal of Honor Day.
Click here for more information about the book and sample pages, and to sign up for updates.
