Dive Bomber Down

<p> James A. Nist lived an extraordinary life in his 24 years. Raised on a New Jersey farm he graduated high school at 16 and earned both a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and a private pilot's license. In 1942 he joined the Navy as an aviation cadet earning his wings and an officer's commission in the Naval Reserve. He became proficient in three of the Navy's high-performance combat aircraft: the SBD Dauntless dive-bomber the F6F Hellcat fighter and the F4U Corsair fighter. In 1945 he deployed to the Pacific aboard the carrier USS <I>Bunker Hill</I> and flew combat missions over Japan Iwo Jima and Okinawa.</p><p> Drawing on Nist's letters and personal papers and official Navy documents historian Bryan J. Dickerson tells the story of his great uncle's life and service during World War II.</p>