Author Archives: atcDave

About atcDave

I'm 5o-something years old and live in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I'm happily married to Jodie. I was an air traffic controller for 33 years and recently retired; grew up in the Chicago area, and am still a fanatic for pizza and the Chicago Bears. My main interest is military history, and my related hobbies include scale model building and strategy games.

A Day at Pearl Harbor

Posted on May 4, 2019

There may be no one place more central to the American story of World War II than the naval base at Pearl Harbor.  The name alone means something to almost every American, it has to be spoken with a certain … Continue reading →

Posted in Museums | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Curtiss P-40K Warhawk

Posted on April 8, 2019

This American fighter was the workhorse of the early war years.  It served in every theater and generally acquitted itself well, if never quite being considered among the best. Join me for a look at an ubiquitous aircraft.

Posted in Fighter, USA | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

The Value of an Ace

Posted on March 26, 2019

Readers of this site may recall about three years ago (!) a discussion about what an ace is worth to an air force.  Some of this came about from my previous post “How Sure Are You?” which was mostly about … Continue reading →

Posted in Dave's Essays | Tagged | 6 Comments

Big Week by James Holland

Posted on February 8, 2019

Subtitled “The Biggest Air Battle of World War II” this book tells the story of the combined bomber campaign in the last week of February 1944.  That means Eighth Air Force, Fifteenth Air Force and Bomber Command.  That was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , | 7 Comments

They Shall Not Grow Old

Posted on December 18, 2018

This new movie from Peter Jackson is truly unique and special.  It is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I and is told entirely through period images with veterans’ voices providing narration. Join me for … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Willys MB Jeep

Posted on December 12, 2018

Few vehicles are more synonymous with a national war effort than the American Jeep. Join me for a brief look at an iconic light vehicle.

Posted in USA, Vehicle | Tagged , | 20 Comments

The Battle of Midway by Craig L Symonds

Posted on September 21, 2018

Do we really need another history of this well documented battle?  Well maybe not need, but this book proved to be a much appreciated addition to the what’s out there. This book is purely a narrative history; that is it … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , | 43 Comments