MWSA Book Review

Arizona’s Hispanic Flyboys 1941-45

Author:  Rudolph C. Villarreal

Publisher: iUniverse

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

Hispanic Aviators – Some Great Stories about some Great Men!

Author Rudolph C. Villarreal has chronicled some of the most interesting WWII aviators, who all just happen to be Hispanic and from Arizona. In his book “Arizona's Hispanic Flyboys 1941-1945,” he gives us a series of short bios on some real American heroes. His book not only preserves a slice of WWII history with never before told tales but he also honors the Hispanic culture of Arizona with his tributes to these old warriors.

What brings this all together and makes it such a reader friendly book is that the author presents each man’s story with some local information like what high school or college the men attended or graduated from. He paints an honest portrait of real human beings who did heroic things in his brief bios. He lists what military medals each man was awarded and where they fought and for what unit. There were some men that I wanted to learn more about like what happened to Corporal Oscar Gallegos after he was released after being a POW in Europe. What was his life like? What did that imprisonment do to him? Where is he now? We may never know.

Some of those profiled have lots of information such as First Lieutenant Gilbert F. Gonzales a pilot of a P-38 fighter lane. The author follows his life right up to his death in 1994. He was part of a squadron that had shot down 179 planes in the Pacific. The book must make fascinating and inspirational reading for those families who have a father, or grandfather featured within these hollowed pages.

The author has truly honored these men and their memories. It is a worthy effort and a well researched book. If you love stories about real men and war this is a good book to read.