|
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF A TRUE HERO OF AMERICAN AVIATION |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
Butch in front of his Hellcat |
Butch in his Bearcat |
Butch in front of his home |
|||
|
First Blue The Story of World War II Ace Butch Voris and the Creation of the Blue Angels by Robert K. Wilcox, Introduction by James Lovell |
|||||
|
|
The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels are the most famous flight demonstration team in the world. Millions of aviation enthusiasts see their show every year. Yet the story of the man who formed them has never been told. He is Roy Marlin "Butch" Voris, a World War II Ace and the first man to command the Blue Angels twice. This riveting biography recounts the epic journey of an unassuming man whose desire to fly and strong character lead him into a life of drama and heroism. He was one of the brave and courageous few who held off the Japanese in the South Pacific in the early part of the war. He is in the same class as the more recognized aviator heroes such as Chuck Yeager and Pappy Boyington. After the war, Voris was personally chosen by Admiral Nimitz to head the Blue Angels and he led them in prop planes and later in jets. The story of his efforts is stunning, at times hilarious, and inspirational. |
||||
|
To get your own copy go to |
|||||
|
"Butch's "hell-for-leather" approach to life, as well as to fighter tactics brought a whole new dimension to the arena. His larger-than-life personality put everything he did in the heroic dimension. Because of this his life stands out in stark comparison to his peers. Besides being a superb aviator, he is a superb human being. I will always consider it the greatest of honors to have flown on his wing." -- Paul Gillcrist, Rear Admiral (Ret.), author of Feet Wet |
|||||
|
Captain Butch Voris (Ret) is an All-American Hero by anyone's measure. His unflinching courage as a fighter pilot in combat throughout WWII set a standard many young aviators sought to emulate. Known as the "Father of the Blues", Butch in 1946 was tapped by the navy to create the legendary flight demonstration team. But nobody then knew it would become legendary. Many were afraid it might antagonize a country sick of war and leary of spending time or money on such an effort. So Butch was left on his own. He was so successful - and the book details his creation of the team from scary first practices to wowing audiences who had never seen such a show - that he was recalled in 1953 to recreate the team a second time following its disestablishment during the Korean War. With Butch's fabulous recall and Bob Wilcox's immense experience, we are privileged with the opportunity to meet and know "First Blue", the life-story of Butch Voris. Winston "Madog" Copeland, Rear Admiral(Ret.) Naval Institute Proceedings
Wilcox (Black Aces High) presents vivid interviews with Voris himself about this period ("This voice... came on the radio and said 'Shut up and die like a man.' ...That's the kind of attitude people had... Shut up. We got our own fight to deal with..."). In April 1946, Voris was tapped, as part of a Navy postwar public relations campaign, to form the Navy's flight exhibition team-The Blue Angels. A landing gear collapse upon landing, the use of a captured Japanese Zero fighter for simulated aerial dogfights, and the death of one of his wartime comrades who crashed into the ground during air show acrobatics are all covered, along with the recruitment and the development of acrobatic maneuvers. Relinquishing command of the Blue Angels in 1947, Voris did stints in Korea, with the re-formed Angels, and later worked for Grumman and NASA. His mid-century pilot's life comes through loud and clear here, as does the Navy's internal workings-and those marvelous planes From Publishers Weekly |
|||||
