Jim Gregory Libri

During World War II, thousands of volunteer combat aviators trained at places like Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Hancock Field in Santa Maria. Some air cadets and WASPs--young women pilots--lost their lives in training accidents. The graduates would go on to fight in both the Pacific and European theaters. They faced flak bursts and collisions that resulted in horrifying explosions and were sent on strafing runs that made them targets in a lethal shooting gallery. Downed airmen encountered both unexpected kindness and cruel deprivation as prisoners of war. Through interviews and official records, Jim Gregory tells the stories of heroic Central Coast veterans who fought a war that stretched from New Guinea to North Africa. --Publisher

The narrative centers on the impact of World War II on Arroyo Grande, highlighting the community's response to the tragedy of Pearl Harbor. Local heroes emerge, such as a storekeeper's son who earned the Silver Star and a farmworker in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The story also touches on the solidarity shown by community members, including the Arroyo Grande Women's Club, who supported Japanese American neighbors facing internment. Jim Gregory vividly recounts the sorrows and triumphs of this pivotal era in local history.

Jim Gregory, a thirty-year veteran of teaching high school history, shares the insights, experiences and the formative influences from his upbringing in rural Arroyo Grande, California and from his time in the classroom. Gregory addresses local and national history, teaching and learning, immigration and war and the richness of a life spent in a place marked by multicultural influences and a rich history. Gregory's mix of humor and passion reveals stories about field workers, war heroes, horsewomen, wildlife--including the beaver colony he encountered as a boy while trout fishing--and new takes on Hollywood classics, immigrant cuisine, American literature and on the tragedy of American combat. Common threads in the collection include the joy Gregory derived in teaching teenagers and his choice of subjects--Americans, both famous and relatively unknown, who evince courage, integrity and compassion for others. Finally , the book demonstrates Gregory's lifelong love for language, for writing and for telling good stories well.

Focusing on the journeys of fifty Civil War veterans, the narrative begins with their epitaphs in a California cemetery and traces their experiences from major battles to their postwar lives. Utilizing diaries, letters, and official reports, the author vividly depicts the chaos of battle and the emotional struggles of soldiers transitioning to civilian life. The story also highlights how these veterans, originally from various states, found renewal and purpose in California, leaving a lasting legacy of their wartime experiences for future generations.

Set in the tumultuous 1850s, the narrative explores the lawlessness of San Luis Obispo County, where outlaws like the James brothers and Al Capone roamed the El Camino Real, leaving chaos in their wake. Despite the establishment of a vigilante committee and executions aimed at curbing crime, notorious figures continued to thrive in this rugged frontier. Jim Gregory uncovers the dark history and forgotten tales of crime and law enforcement in this captivating account of California's wild past.