Gooney Bird Driver

“Gooney Bird Driver” is a collection of war stories from C-47 pilot Joe D. Maguire, one of the “forgotten pilots” of the 27th Air Transport Group which carried just about everything across war torn Europe in World War 2, from wounded troops to cans of black and white paint (for adding invasion stripes to aircraft) to the Glenn Miller Band.     

Joe completed 35 combat missions, racking up hundreds of hours, often under intense enemy fire, but due to a series of administrative SNAFUs, he and his unit weren’t officially recognized for their service until almost 50 years after the war ended. Eventually he was awarded the DFC, Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters and the French Legion d’Honneur, among many other accolades for his courage and devotion to duty.     

These are his stories, illustrated with many of his own personal photographs and mementoes, and told in his own words to his son, noted author and historian Jon A. Maguire.