Wings over the Mexican Border

Pioneer Military Aviation in the Big Bend

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, State & Local
Cover of the book Wings over the Mexican Border by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale ISBN: 9780292787810
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: July 5, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
ISBN: 9780292787810
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: July 5, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English
Against a backdrop of revolution, border banditry, freewheeling aerial dramatics, and World War II comes this compelling look at the rise of U.S. combat aviation at an unlikely proving ground—a remote airfield in the rugged reaches of the southwestern Texas borderlands. Here, at Elmo Johnson's Big Bend ranch, hundreds of young Army Air Corps pilots demonstrated the U.S. military's reconnaissance and emergency response capabilities and, in so doing, dramatized the changing role of the airplane as an instrument of war and peace. Kenneth Ragsdale's gripping account not only sets the United States squarely in the forefront of aerial development but also provides a reflective look at U.S.-Mexican relations of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, particularly the tense days and aftermath of the Escobar Rebellion of 1929. He paints a vivid picture of the development of the U.S. aerial strike force; the character, ideals, and expectations of the men who would one day become combat leaders; and the high esteem in which U.S. citizens held the courageous pilots. Particularly noteworthy is Ragsdale's portrait of Elmo Johnson, the Big Bend rancher, trader, and rural sage who emerges as the dominant figure at one of the most unusual facilities in the annals of the Air Corps. Wings over the Mexican Border tells a stirring story of the American frontier juxtaposed with the new age of aerial technology.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Against a backdrop of revolution, border banditry, freewheeling aerial dramatics, and World War II comes this compelling look at the rise of U.S. combat aviation at an unlikely proving ground—a remote airfield in the rugged reaches of the southwestern Texas borderlands. Here, at Elmo Johnson's Big Bend ranch, hundreds of young Army Air Corps pilots demonstrated the U.S. military's reconnaissance and emergency response capabilities and, in so doing, dramatized the changing role of the airplane as an instrument of war and peace. Kenneth Ragsdale's gripping account not only sets the United States squarely in the forefront of aerial development but also provides a reflective look at U.S.-Mexican relations of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, particularly the tense days and aftermath of the Escobar Rebellion of 1929. He paints a vivid picture of the development of the U.S. aerial strike force; the character, ideals, and expectations of the men who would one day become combat leaders; and the high esteem in which U.S. citizens held the courageous pilots. Particularly noteworthy is Ragsdale's portrait of Elmo Johnson, the Big Bend rancher, trader, and rural sage who emerges as the dominant figure at one of the most unusual facilities in the annals of the Air Corps. Wings over the Mexican Border tells a stirring story of the American frontier juxtaposed with the new age of aerial technology.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Proof by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Left of Hollywood by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Technophobia! by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book The Archaeology of La Calsada by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Energy by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Dangerous Gifts by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Homegirls in the Public Sphere by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Human Matter by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Portugal's Other Kingdom by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book The Comedy Studies Reader by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Col. William N. Selig, the Man Who Invented Hollywood by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Bulbs for Warm Climates by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book Viva Tequila! by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
Cover of the book The Natural History of the Traditional Quilt by Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy