Tom Gauthier

The Saga of the 1st Fighter Control Squadron: Memories of Our History Tom Gauthier

Publisher Marketing: How do you write a history of a WWII military unit when the official records of that unit lie at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean some three hundred miles from Fiji? The answer involves some serendipity, some luck, and the tenacity of one man to rebuild the story of his, and his comrades' war experiences. This group of men organized for a unique mission, and share a unique story. Most of their casualties occurred on the way to the Pacific War-and every member of the unit was awarded the Purple Heart. Only through the efforts of one of their own can we finally write this book in their honor and their memory. Is it a history? Is it a memoir? Yes. It is the personal memories of the men intertwined with the recorded history of a WWII Pacific Campaign. Quoted from the memorial plaque at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: "Initially torpedoes and almost destroyed, the squadron rose from disaster to top performance of its control mission in the air war of the Pacific." "Sharks tore bodies from partially submerged life rafts in their hunger for human flesh. Some of the sharks had already made off with screaming men, and the blood from the bodies of those boys attracted more sharks. There were schools of them, I don't know how many, but they were seven to ten feet long-they even pulled men off rafts." After this horrific experience, losing ten of their numbers, 357 men gathered and set out on their mission to save the lives of stricken American pilots and inflict deadly damage on the enemy. This book is a trip through history and the collective memories of the men who were their. From New Guinea to the Philippines they fought and bled on battlefields not as heralded by the films or books--but just as deadly to the men who hit those beaches and fought in those jungles after enduring the sinking of the ship that was to bring them to war. Contributor Bio:  Gauthier, Tom Tom Gauthier is a retired business executive with degrees in Business Administration and Psychology. Tom served in the US Army as a combat intelligence analyst and in the US Air Force Reserve as a C-119 Loadmaster, experiences that contribute to the stories. Gauthier's career took him to four continents as a lecturer, counselor, and teacher. This extensive travel provides many authentic scenes in his stories. He now lives in rural northeast California with his wife of forty years, Marlene. Merging a family in 1975, Tom and Marlene enjoy their four children, thirteen grandchildren, and fifteen great grandchildren. He began writing novels in 2008. His first work, Code Name: ORION'S EYE, was an outgrowth of his studies with the Long Ridge Writers' Group. It also began the "career" of the character of Amos Mead. His second novel continued the Amos Mead Series with MEAD'S TREK. In 2011 Gauthier was signed by Patriot Media, Inc. publishers, and the first two Amos Mead Adventure books were reissued as second editions in 2011 and 2012. The next Amos Mead Adventure followed in 2013 with, DIE LISTE: Revenge on the Black Sun. FORCE THREE RISES is the fourth-with more to come. Though not a part of the Amos Mead Adventure series, Gauthier's novel, A VOYAGE BEYOND REASON is a factual record of "Coach" (CBS TV Survivor) Ben Wade's solo kayak voyage in the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean, down the west coast from upper Baja California, Mexico, to Colombia, South America. Wrapped in a fictional story that drives the suspense of the feat to a climactic ending, it won an international award in a Writers' Digest competition for Literary Fiction, and is listed in the Library of Congress. Tom Gauthier has received acclaim from the Military Writers Society of America some of the best authors in his genre: "Here's a voice that's original, animated, and refreshing. Tom Gauthier definitely knows what he's writing about-and it shows. You're there, amidst the action, feeling, hearing, even smelling the tension. Enjoy the adventure," Steve Berry, NY Times and International Best Selling Author "Gauthier weaves a compelling story of intrigue, action and romance ..." Lis Wiehl, FOX NEWS Legal Analyst and author of SNAPSHOTContributor Bio:  White, Ray Ray's Higher Purpose and Definition of Success are helping people be happy and successful. He wakes up at 5 am every morning to work on his blogs or books before starting the day with his paying job in advertising. Ray White has been married for 25 years and has 3 wonderful teenagers. He is a C-Level executive with 30 years of business experience helping start-ups and Fortune 1000 companies improve performance and profitability by focusing on developing successful employees. Ray speaks and teaches business classes on Leadership, Happiness, and Success at all levels of the business hierarchy from new employees to C-Level executives. Ray is on several boards including the the University of North Texas Professional Leadership Program where he worked a mentor for Alexia. You can find more information about Ray and his books at ConnectingHappinessandSuccess.com.