I came across this book awhile back and forgot to do the review. First let me say I had never heard of this lost squadron in any WWII book that I have read before, even one about Marine Corps Aviation. So I was totally surprised by this title. The author takes you through the events that led up to squadron VMF-422 and the storm they are about to encounter, but are not aware of it. Really they should have never been given clearance to flight in the first place, but having out dated or faulty weather information later said in the investigation they were given approval by General Merritt. The author has done years of research and interviews with any of the survivors or their families. You also get some background on the pilots themselves. Then into the flight which heads right into one of the largest Pacific typhoons ever trying to avoid it when they saw it did not work and they got blown off course. One would end up on an Island, most in the ocean on rafts six were never seen again and 22 planes were lost not by a single shot but by mother nature and commanding officers. (I’m always a little bias since my father was a master Sgt & a WWII & Korea Vet) Anyway even when the search party was sent out the General still did not send out the right craft. He would censored, but not really because of political friends, yet it took decades for the Captain of the USS Indianapolis to get cleared and his men said he did nothing wrong and the war was over. Anyway this was a very good book about a story I had never even heard about. Well researched and a very good history book.

Finally, there is a book that reveals the truth about the worst air disaster to strike a Marine Corps fighter squadron during the Second World War. Marine Fighter Squadron 422 was a group of twenty-four typical young Americans trained to fly the famous F4U Corsair into combat with the legendary Japanese Zero. When they arrived in the Pacific, they suddenly found that not all their enemies carried guns in savage Banzai charges. Their two most dangerous and merciless adversaries were the fury of a tropical typhoon and the cold heartless whims of a Marine Corps general. Together, these two foes seal the fate of VMF-422 and cause the greatest disaster ever to strike a Marine squadron.

Aviation historian Mark Carlson has written the first full account of a group of ordinary young men who were suddenly challenged beyond their experience and which forever changed the lives of the survivors. The Marines’ Lost Squadron is the dramatic true story of a desperate and courageous fight for survival against the forces of nature and a conspiracy of silence. The Marines’ Lost Squadron is a saga of courage and conspiracy, patriotism and pride, fate and futility in a struggle to survive the ferocity of a huge typhoon in the midst of the Second World War.

My thoughts:
I'm kicking myself for not picking this up sooner , wish I had done so last year but even though it's a new year I'm glad I did finally pick it up to read, because it's the type of non fiction i love to read and can get lost in, the author Mark Carlson not only brings to life the marine's who lost their lives but the ones who lived to tell this story. It's not only about their lives or the ones that didn't make it,it's also about their struggles and what they went through because of one man who didn't seem to care about the very lives of his men he was in charge of. With that said I would love to think Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review The Marines' Lost Squadron in a change for my honest opinion.

What Happened To VMF-422 Was A Completely Avoidable Tragedy

In THE MARINES' LOST SQUADRON THE ODYSSEY OF VMF-422, author Mark Carlson explains in great detail the tragic story. The flight was just supposed to be a routine flight, ferrying 24 F4U-1D Corsairs to another island. Only one plane actually landed where intended. The rest were either lost forever, or ditched at sea. Although not often mentioned, the “Flintlock Disaster” was actually the worst non-combat loss of a marine squadron in the war.

Here was the key problem: They were heading “right at one of nature’s most powerful and dangerous forces: a Pacific typhoon.” Adding to the problem was that the commanding general never told the arriving location that the planes were on the way. So, when they didn’t show up, no one knew to take action to look for them.

The author recounts in great detail the confusion of the typhoon, and how the pilots attempted to make their way, without success. The pilots became hopelessly confused in the typhoon. Just one managed to land on their original destination, and many ended up in the ocean: “One by one the planes disappeared like tiny insects into the storm.” Ultimately, there were 13 men in 12 rafts trying to survive.

The most bizarre account is of pilot Jake Wilson. He flew around blindly for two hours, then “managed to stumble on the only island inhabited by friendly natives whose pretty girls were literally throwing themselves at him.” The chief of the island gave a party for Wilson. It was his “own betrothal party. He told the American pilot to choose a wife from among the young women who were dancing for him.” Later, Wilson recounted that life on the island “had been one of the most pleasant times he had ever known.”

Although the men on the rafts were rescued, some men were never found, and were lost at sea. There was an official investigation, which placed much blame on commanding General Merritt—primarily for not sending a multi-engine escort with the single-engine planes: “A multi-engine escort plane was virtually imperative for long over-water flights by single-engine aircraft.”

So all in all, I found THE MARINES' LOST SQUADRON to be an outstanding book. The author writes very well and provides a wealth of information about these events. Mr. Carlson does a nice job of setting the stage for the disaster, as well as taking the reader through the terrible events.

As a side note, it’s worth mentioning a bit about the author. In a postlude, Mr. Carlson notes that he lost his vision via the eye disease, "retinitis pigmentosa." The author notes, “In a way, being blind has given me both an advantage and an insight that mere sight could never hope to accomplish.”

Bravo, Bravo!

Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher