WWII pilot’s gripping stories illuminate a pivotal piece of aviation history in the 75th anniversary year of the U.S. Air Force
With the heart and humor of a young Eagle Scout coming of age in WWII.
Santa Barbara, Calif. – The family of a U.S. Air Force veteran has preserved his history in a captivating new book, Richard Eager: a Pilot’s Story from Tennessee Eagle Scouts to General Montgomery’s “Flying Fortress” (July 3, 2021, Kieran Publishing Company). A detailed account of the golden age of aviation, spanning the 1930’s to the 1960’s, told through the firsthand stories of beloved son, brother and father and heroic pilot, Colonel Richard Ernest Evans.
A bet between WWII commanders. An Eagle Scout from Tennessee assigned to pilot one of the greatest leaders of the Allied Forces. This is the story of how young Captain Richard Evans became the B-17 "Flying Fortress" pilot for Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the British 8th Army, during missions throughout North Africa and Italy.
Filled with humor and humility, Evans’ recollections of cadet training, combat missions and experiences with the “top brass” provide a fascinating firsthand account of a World War II pilot in both the Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters of Operations. Woven throughout the chapters, Evans interrupts his personal narrative of war to recall pivotal childhood moments with friends and family and as a Boy Scout in the Smoky Mountains. Nicknamed for his over-eagerness as a cadet, “Richard Eager” shares his stories with great optimism for the future and poignant reflections on growing up.
“Richard Eager”
Barbara Kinnear | July 3, 2021 | Kieran Publishing Company | Historical non-fiction
Hardcover | 978-1-7333518-8-1 | $49.99
Paperback | 978-1-7333518-7-4 | $29.99
Colonel Richard Ernest Evans: Richard Ernest Evans was born in Knoxville, TN, in 1919, where he spent his childhood participating in the Boy Scouts of America, drilling in the Knoxville High School ROTC, learning to fly with the Tennessee Air National Guard, and visiting the Smoky Mountains with his three brothers, “Pug”, Tom and John, and his parents, William and Helen.
In his third year at the University of Tennessee, Richard was accepted to Flying Cadet School and enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1939. It was during this training that he earned the nickname “Richard Eager”. In January 1943, Captain Evans entered combat in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, as a pilot in the 99th Bomb Group. Over the next two years, Captain Evans flew 54 missions in North Africa, Italy, and other German-held territories in Europe, and one mission in Japan. He piloted various planes, most notably the Theresa Leta B-17E “Flying Fortress”, which was “won” by General Montgomery in a bet and in which the famous Field Marshal was flown by Captain Evans on many occasions. Major Evans witnessed the end of the war in Okinawa, working alongside General LeMay.
Richard married JoAnn Nelson in San Antonio, TX, in 1944. After WWII, Richard left active duty, joined the California Air National Guard, and began a career in life insurance, working with the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. However, at the start of the Korean War, Lt. Colonel Evans was recalled to active duty as a Deputy Director of Operations for the USAF Strategic Air Command (SAC). During the Cold War, he was promoted to Colonel and commanded the B-58 test squadron. Upon leaving active duty in 1959, Richard worked with North American Aircraft Company and later consulted on the development of the B-1 and C-54. Over the course of his military career, Colonel Evans piloted a range of planes including the B-17 “Flying Fortress”, B-24 “Liberator”, B-25 “Mitchell”, B-29 “Superfortress”, B-47 “Stratojet”, B-52 “Stratofortress”, and B-58 “Hustler”.
Richard, or “Dick” as he was lovingly called by friends and family, wrote poignant letters, clever poems, and personal reflections all his life. With the encouragement of his children, Dick began writing down his boyhood memories and war stories in the last decades of his life. In a letter that is now included in the preface of this book, Dick described his intentions: “Conceived as the Twentieth Century is coming to an end, this book is written for interested and concerned young people, anxious to understand and reflect upon the kind of world they are inheriting. It is also for older folks: those who, though they may be fading, find joy and pride in recalling the young people they once were.”
Richard “Eager” Evans passed away in June 2006, and was buried with full military honors in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. He is survived by his daughter, Barbara, and his son, Donald.
Barbara Kinnear: Barbara “Bobbie” Kinnear graduated from Texas Christian University in 1967 with a BS degree in nursing science. She continued her medical career with specialties in pediatric burn care and worked as the operating room and recovery room supervisor for South Bay Hospital in Redondo Beach and later the Director of Nursing at the Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic.
Barbara has served on various nonprofit boards, including Santa Barbara Visiting Nurses Association, Junior League of Santa Barbara, The Garden Club of Santa Barbara, National Charity League of Santa Barbara, Westmont College Foundation Board, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
As a proud “Air Force brat”, Barbara lived in many states throughout her childhood. Today, she is grateful to call California home. She has lived in Santa Barbara with her husband, John, since 1973. They have one daughter, Katie.
Her father, Colonel Richard Ernest Evans, instilled a deep love of family and history in Barbara from a young age. In the preface to this book, she writes, “Throughout my childhood, my brother and I would listen to our father’s accounts of his flying and travels. In my adulthood, his stories took on greater detail as he revisited memories and friendships long past and recounted his childhood upbringing with fondness. He was a wonderful storyteller.”
Barbara is honored to share her father’s words—honest, humorous, and heartfelt—through the publication of this book. She hopes her father’s stories will add a bit to history and encourage others to tell their stories as well. Find out more about Colonel Richard and Barbara at https://www.richardeagerbook.com/.
Follow Barbara Kinnear on social media:
Facebook: @RichardEagerBook | Instagram: @Richard_Eager
An Interview with
Barbra Kinnear
Your father passed away in 2006, before the book was finished. What inspired you to bring it to life now?
It was a labor of love. My father worked so hard on his stories. They were personal, historic, and fascinating. Family members were helpful, excited, and delighted for him. The book had to be finished. The stories had to become known. Back in the early 1990s independent book authors had a hard time finding publishers. Richard E. Evans tired of locating a publisher, and age was catching up with him. When he died, I vowed that someday I would finish and publish his book for him. The background research to complement the chapters took many years to complete and that is why it took over ten years to publish, once I was able to begin the work.
A couple of other things drove the decision to publish now as well. Our WWII veterans are passing away. We have a responsibility to keep their stories alive and encourage other veterans to tell their stories. I hope this book will set an example and encourage other veterans and their families to write their own narratives. 2022 is the
75th Anniversary of the Air Force! The official Air Force Birthday is recognized as Sept. 18, 1947, which is the date of the passage of the National Security Act of 1947. Though the WWII veterans are almost gone, their families will continue to remember and write about them. Their stories reflect a brave, principled group of men and women.
You obviously grew up in a military household. What do you admire about the Air Force?
My childhood was filled with fond memories of living on military bases in Florida, Nebraska and Texas. It doesn’t matter what state you are in, when you see the day-in-day-out dedication of Air Force men and women and their families, it can’t help but leave a strong impression. Even at a young age, I knew this was a special community, one in which my father, and I too, was very proud to be a part of. I admire the people behind the Air Force, their selfless service, sense of “calling”, and bravery in the air. I also admire the institution of the Air Force for the vital and very unique role it plays in protecting our country and our allies, as well as its commitment to its veterans.
What did your father love most about flying?
My father grew up idolizing the pioneering aviators of the 1920s and 1930s and took the first chance he could get to fly a plane through the Tennessee Air National Guard. He was addicted to flying! He loved the sensation of flying but also had a great curiosity for the technology and capabilities of planes. This attention to the nuances of each plane and the evolving theories of “flying best practice” made him an exceptional pilot and trainer of other pilots. He also clearly loved the camaraderie of leading a crew.
What did you learn when writing/editing the book?
There is little known about the WWII North African Campaign, where many of the chapters take place. This was a most important part of the war. Not many people understand that it was General Bernard Montgomery, Commander of the British Eighth Army, who chased the German and Italian armies out of North Africa and protected the vital Suez Canal. He then proceeded to work with the Americans to free Sicily and Italy from Hitler’s cruel regime.
I also learned more about my father’s military and flight records, researching through archives. Colonel Evans’ book covers a period of extreme innovation in military aviation, from the 1930s to the 1960s. He flew the simplest lightweight design propeller plane like the Piper Cub to one of the most extremely complex jets, the B-58 Bomber that could fly “Mach 2,” which is twice the speed of sound.
More about my father’s family and Knoxville childhood, described across many chapters. What life was like for this family in Tennessee between two world wars.
Can you offer more context around the book’s title?
The title is Colonel Evans’ nickname “Richard Eager.” He was given that name when he was a student pilot by one of his close friends. He was always ready to go, gung-ho and an Eagle Scout to his core. He was such a skilled student pilot that as soon as he graduated, he was asked to teach new student pilots flight and navigation skills.
The title also touches on two core themes of the book: my father’s childhood and the lessons and values he carried into the war; AND one of his most unique pilot experiences, flying General Bernard Montgomery throughout North Africa and Italy. He was able to observe more than most… General Montgomery’s infamous and interesting personality. Though the general and the pilot didn’t always see eye to eye, the pilot honored with deep respect the general; and when they parted in 1943, they were friends.
What are the strengths of the book?
This book is written with humor, humility, honesty and with well-researched pieces of little-known history about the North African, Mediterranean part of WWII. The 150 iconic photographs within each chapter help illustrate the stories. There are family letters and other found primary historical documents that support the chapter stories. The chronology and glossary set the stage for the chapter contents, so the reader will understand the military vernacular and dates of that era.
What was a funny moment in the process of researching the book?
Special hours in the IMW Museum photographic archives were not easy to reserve in 2015, especially to search the archives when you are not a known war historian. My husband and I were able to secure one of those appointments. When we arrived, those around us were very quiet within a small room, each studying pages upon pages of photos and notes. While quietly checking the archives we found a folder of photos from North Africa during WWII. Within it were pictures of General Montgomery and the B-17 that my father flew. When seeing these photos, I responded in a very jubilant way, and I guess several octaves above the silent noise level that this group was used to. All heads popped up… and mine popped down.
Why did you choose to donate the book’s revenue to the Air Force Aid Society?
In the spirit of honoring my father’s memory, my family has always dreamed that we would donate any revenue from the sale of “Richard Eager” to a military charity. Today that dream is becoming a reality. In the last chapter of this book, “Escape from Okinawa”, my father reflects on his survival. He was going home at the close of World War II, anxious to get home by Christmas to be with his family and new bride and baby daughter. But others were not so lucky. So many of Richard’s childhood friends, fellow Boy Scouts, fellow cadets-in-training and his own crew members, would not live to see the end of the war. It is clear in his words that this book, his story, is also a tribute to all those who didn’t live to tell their own stories. I can’t imagine a better way to honor this message than to ensure that all revenue from this book goes to a charity that supports the brave men and women of our Air Force.
The Air Force Aid Society is the Air Force non-profit corporation organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in support of Air Force members and families. Colonel Richard Evans recognized pilots would never have gotten off the ground or returned home safely without the help of their entire crew, the ground crew and a huge range of supporting staff. He also knew firsthand the dedication and sacrifice of Air Force families. He would be proud to know that his words are contributing to the aid of those helped by the Air Force Aid Society.
It is my family’s honor to bring this book to the public and to support the incredible work of the Air Force Aid Society. Every person who purchases a copy of “Richard Eager” can be assured that 100% of the revenue from the sale is going to the Air Force Aid Society, specifically the Colonel Richard Ernest Evans Memorial Fund which supports education for Air Force families.
