Presentation Date: July 25, 1996
Damon Rarey
Laughter & Tears, A Combat Pilot's Sketchbook of WWII Squadron Life Laughter & Tears, A Combat Pilot's Sketchbook of WWII Squadron Life
At the Squadron's May 23rd meeting, we had a fascinating glimpse into some "lost" archives of the Ninth Air Force's 379th Fighter Squadron. Those archives are the artwork of Capt. George Rarey, a P-47 pilot who was a commercial artist before he was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1942.
Rarey flew a P-47 before he drove a car. After each day's missions were over, Rarey drew in his sketchbook journal the events of the day as they affected the pilots and crew of the 379th. Rarey also painted the cowling art on the P-47s of his squadron's aircraft, as well as portraits of his fellow pilots. Capt. Rarey was killed in combat over France a few days after D-Day.
His son, Damon, who was born three months before that fateful day, has now compiled his father's sketchbooks and letters with remembrances from 379th pilots in a volume titled, Laughter and Tears.
An excerpt from the book:
Bob McKee: June 6, 1944. / D-Day. I was flying the CO's wing, Lt. Col. Joe Laughlin, in the number 2 position. Very dark, very low clouds with a 300' ceiling, foggy, and a steady rain falling. Eerie. Our takeoff, join-up and climb-out was tricky, yet we managed to join a large group of C-47 aircraft just south of Portsmouth which were towing gliders with troops. We escorted them to the beachhead where they dropped onto the Cherbourg peninsula. The weather was better, with an 800' ceiling; misty/hazy and very crowded with Allied aircraft. Our mission then called for us to patrol just south of the beachhead for enemy fighters and, since there were none, we hit ground targets at will before returning to Headcorn, England.
There are some very poignant images in this collection of sketches - - images which will bring back memories that may have been dormant for 50 years. For those who were never there, Rarey's art brings a new life and color to presentations of the great aerial conflict over Europe.