The Navigation Case with John Happ

When John Happ’s father passed, he inherited a crusty leather briefcase full of meticulously saved documents and photos. When asked about his service in WWII, the only thing he would say was that he was “a pilot in New Guinea”. He was such a mild mannered, church-going guy that John always thought he meant transport, hauling personnel and equipment from here to there. He was shocked to learn through these documents that his father had been a combat pilot, flying sixty-four violent and deadly missions throughout New Guinea in WWII. He came to learn that at the end of his tour he was rotated off the front lines to what could be considered benign transport missions flying Battle of the Bulge wounded to hospitals closer to their native homes. And while no one would consider air transport missions to be the same as combat missions, it was in that capacity that he went missing, lost, completely unaccounted for… Join us to hear John Happ tell his, and his father’s, story. This program will take place in-person at the Library, and registration is not required. First come, first served.