Chad Manske's Reviews > Inferno: The True Story of a B-17 Gunner's Heroism and the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History

An unlikely man of short stature (5’5”), older than the average WWII B-17 crew member upon entry into service, would be the first and only ball turret gunner of WWII (of 243) to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. From Caro, MI, Maynard Smith was also the only CMH recipient to be demoted after the accolade. His unlikely receipt would also come on his very first B-17 mission during the bloody May Day Massacre on May 1st, 1943. During a mission in which all of the other gunners either bailed out or were incapacitated, Smith single-handedly was responsible for saving the aircraft from the back while the front end did what it could to get the aircraft on the ground. From going gun-to-gun in the back of the stricken Fortress, Smith staved off greedy German fighters who could smell the ‘kill’, yet would be eluded. Smith only flew 4 more missions after that, living a very self-entitled and self-serving existence during his remaining Army service. Post-Army life would pay witness to a further degradation of character while he employed numerous business scams, evaded alimony and child support owed to two previous wives and children, and other head-shaking behavior. The character portrait is actually downright dismal. The author sets the story in the backdrop of other heralded leaders such as Ira Eaker and Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold, yet in this reviewers mind this distracts from the focus of the story which should have been kept on Smith. Why have more people not heard of Smith? His actions spoke louder than his words on one heroic day.