Book Description

This fictional historical novel tells the story of the last Air Force Academy class to spend its entire first year at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colorado before the new site opened in Colorado Springs. Seen through the eyes of a cadet, the story is based on cadet "letters home." The Class had the last with Air Force Officer Upperclassmen and first with 1959 and 1960 cadet upperclassmen. The "Toughest School in America's" first year Fourth Class (Freshman) System weaned the cadet from parental ties and gave him the self-discipline necessary meet the four-year challenges required to become a United States Air Force Officer. The Third Academy Class lived a history that will never be repeated. The Class of 1961 was the last trained under the watchful eyes of young US Air Force Officer "upperclassmen." The West Point, Naval Academy, and Citadel graduates assumed the role of upperclassmen to the "Doolies," a sarcastic name for New Cadets. The physical, mental, and spiritual demands on these selected young men are chronicled in the novel. The trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the New Cadets, detailed in letters home, create the historical basis for the book. Classmates Art Kerr, Terry Storm, and Ad Thompson provided the "letters home" in a book by Robert Heriza entitled Man's Flight through Life. The Epilog details the myriad achievements of the men who completed the Academy program. Most of the 214 who graduated with the class completed a military career where they provided leadership in combat, military organizations, and other national endeavors. Following military service, graduates pursued careers as commercial pilots or industry managers, as lawyers and judges, or in roles in educational institutions. Doolie is an up-close and personal look at the life of these earliest AF Academy cadets. General Lee Butler, a Commander of Strategic, observed the following: "Gene hit upon the engaging approach of interweaving letters home from classmates with his own narrative of an intense socialization process designed to turn boys into men. Chronicling this unrelenting grind in excruciating detail while sustaining keen anticipation of events in the daily life of a Doolie some 60 years ago is a truly remarkable achievement, but anyone who has lived through a long period of separation from family and friends can relate to it. Carry on, then, dear reader, but fasten your emotional seat belt: this is a wild ride to come."