Scrappy

<p> From World War II to high above the Earth to Vietnam this memoir tells the story of fighter pilot Howard C. Scrappy Johnson. Beginning with his early years in Knoxville Tennessee the book follows Johnson through his career at the University of Louisville and his enlistment as an Air Force cadet at the onset of World War II. After World War II Johnson served a tour of duty in the skies over Korea and in 1958 broke the world's altitude record by over 14000 feet soaring at 91249 feet in his F-104A Starfighter. For this remarkable feat he was awarded the Collier Trophy aviation's highest honor. In Vietnam he was director of operations for the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing and was instrumental in founding the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots a group dedicated to the remembrance of fallen and captured airmen. Written with panache this work records the bigger-than-life adventures of one of America's finest.</p>