Join author John Happ as he recounts the discovery of an aged and glossy leather briefcase in his family house. Learn how the contents of that case revealed the true-life saga of his father’s participation in fascinating but deadly cadet training and violent air missions in New Guinea! Happ’s book, The Navigation Case, reveals the drama and sacrifice expended by America’s pioneering pilots’ first ever demonstration of air superiority, during the greatest campaign in U.S. Air Force history. The narrative flourishes into an incredible story giving the context for all the Pacific war stories from Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway Island, and Iwo Jima, up to the avoidable catastrophes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

John E. Happ is a contributing author to the Journal of the American Revolution, has written for the World War One website The 75th Artillery C.A.C., and the adventure magazine Atlantic Coastal Kayaker.

This program is being co-presented by Newton Free Library and Ashland Public Library, the Newton Department of Veteran’s Services and the Norfolk County (RSVP) Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Please register here. The link zoom will come from ashlandprograms@minlib.net. Be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

If you wish to own a copy of The Navigation Case, they are available from Newtonville Books.