James J. Crooke Jr.

Berlin to the Gulf of Mexico: Pow 5518 Remembers James J. Crooke Jr.

: "BERLIN TO THE GULF OF MEXICO; POW 5518 REMEMBERS" author James J. Crooke, Jr. On his third combat mission over Germany as a B-17 Navigator the formation of bombers exploded sending four of the air crewmen to their deaths. The author and four other air crewmen parachuted to quick captivity some 20 miles from Berlin. J. Earle Bowden, Editor Emeritus The Pensacola News Journal in his column January 27, 2007 succinctly describes the author's first book: "His lean narrative provides the mirror through which we see the many whose youth was cut short and their war transformed to cruel isolation, while others fought to liberate Europe. His memoir is a clearly articulated lesson for other generations." Bowden continues: "With these revelations, Crooke hopes others will never know the hard lessons of his generation. As the years have passed, Crooke has obviously deepened his appreciation for all the old familiar places that were and will never be again."