The Youngest Crew

World War II feels so different from a distance of 25,000 feet and 75 years. I have to confess that I actually enjoyed this memoir: it was intimate, almost gentle. Wagner wrote this in his seventies and his voice is that of a self-aware, insightful, wise elder while still managing to convey the youthful energy and innocence of the time. I think in some ways he had a unique perspective on the War: he and his crew were young (19-20) and they arrived in the ETO near the end (January 1945) so they missed the horrors of 1944 and their tour was short. They didn't have time to grow weary and jaded. They were also very, very lucky.

The first half of the book is background and training, and his love of flying comes through loud and clear. His descriptions of night flying brought back a flood of memories of my own night flights, most distinctly my all-time favorite, a late-night return from Colorado Springs on a perfectly clear dark night. Wagner writes, “To say I was bedazzled would be an understatement, I was thrilled to the core.” No kidding. The second half is his assignment, including sober and thoughtful recollections of each mission. Wagner does not go deeply into the moral quandaries of war but he does touch on them, admitting at least discomfort, if not more, about some of the runs. (Yes, he was at Dresden). I cannot judge.

And throughout both halves he takes us with him on R&R, mostly womanizing but also engaging with family and friendships. This added an unexpectedly rich human dimension, and I ended up really, really liking Wagner. I'm sorry never to have met him. Yes, there was some sexism, but much less and much milder than I was expecting given the circumstances, and it doesn't strike me as just old-age whitewashing. He comes off as a decent person then and now.