'China Ghost': World War II Novel Details Exploits and Emotions of a Navy Bomber Flight Crew

'China Ghost': World War II Novel Details Exploits and Emotions of a Navy Bomber Flight Crew
Friday August 29, 8:05 am ET
DALLAS, Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on the actual events and experiences of his service in World War II, Robert L. Perrenot's new novel, "China Ghost" (published by AuthorHouse -- http://www.authorhouse.com), is the gripping, human story of Crew 7, a flight crew attached to VPB-219, a U.S. Navy bombing squadron stationed in the South Pacific.
China Ghost honors the very young boys who were forced into maturity by the dangers and horrors of war before they served life's apprenticeship. It's about their loves and their fears. It's about honor, patriotism and love of God. Perrenot's compassionate storytelling taps into the emotional strain of life during war time.
Based in remote places such as Guadalcanal, Munda, New Guinea, the Admiralties and the Philippines, Navy bomber squadrons made long range patrols into Japanese waters in search of enemy ships. One such squadron, VPB-219, is home to Crew 7, which becomes known as China Ghost following the exploits of a special mission, code name China Ghost.
Beau Rachal, a veteran of a previous tour in the South Pacific who has returned to San Diego and his girlfriend, Frances Maginley, receives his new assignment to VPB-219. After a short training period in Camp Kearney NAS and Kaneohe Bay NAS, VPB-219 moves to Clark Field in the Philippine Islands. There, Crew 7 becomes known as China Ghost for its missions into French Indo-China and China, where Japanese targets are plentiful and danger is ever-present.
"It has been said that wars are started by old men and fought by young men," Perrenot writes. "'China Ghost' is a tribute to those brave, young warriors that faced the prospect of death each time they climbed into one of those machines."
Robert L. Perrenot graduated from high school in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1942 at 16. Shortly after, he lied about his age and joined the U.S. Navy. Soon enough he found himself as a gunner for a bombing squadron in the South Pacific. This squadron was relieved to form a new squadron that would make use of an airplane built especially for the Navy's seek and search operations: the PB4Y-2 Privateer. In his new squadron, VPB-119, Perrenot was the bow turret gunner in Crew 7 and the only one in the crew with previous combat experience. As depicted in "China Ghost," this squadron was based at Clark Field. Perrenot personally flew 74 combat missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals. "China Ghost" is Perrenot's first novel.

'China Ghost': World War II Novel Details Exploits and Emotions of a Navy Bomber Flight Crew: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

 

My dad served with Robert Perrenot during their service with squadron VPB-119 at Clark Field in the Philippines. I had the honor to get to know Mr. Perrenot before his passing in September of 2008; he sent me the following photo of himself and the enlisted members of his PB4Y-2 crew (crew #7) during his time with VPB-119 :




Back row (L -> R) :
Morton, Luther E. "Mort", AMMF1/c-Plane Captain
Bowsher, Gail A. "Smoothy", AMMF2/c -Port Waist Turret
Perrenot, Robert L. "Panhandle", AMMF2/c -Bow Turret
Culbertson, Calvin L. "Cal", ARM2/c-Fwd Upper Deck Turret
Healy, Roy G., AMM3/c-Stbd Waist Turret

Front (L->R) :
Raber, John I. "Smilin' Jack", AOMB2/c -Bombardier
Whitten, Lloyd A. "Tex", S1/c-Tail Turret
Poor, Robert E. "Bob", ACRM-1st Radioman

Not Shown :
Matthews, Billy "Longhorn", AOM3/c -1st Ordnanceman
(Probably the one with the camera)