A B-24 Pilot’s Letters Home
Memoir/WWII History
Date Published: May 27, 2025
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
In this posthumously published collection of letters and postal cards,
William “Bill” Hanchett shares his candid experiences as a
flight-school cadet, and later as an Army Air Forces pilot in command of a
B-24 Liberator bomber during World War II.
Through Bill’s first-hand accounts, we learn that mastering the art
of flying during wartime is about more than understanding engine throttle
and airspeed. It’s about wondering when you’ll be called to
fight and if you’ll be asked to betray your ideals. It’s about
working hard and documenting the days, dreaming about the future, and
longing for home.
An extraordinary primary document, Disgracefully Easy offers us a rare
glimpse inside the military in the 1940s, a time when Americans worried
about the fate of their great country and looked to the brave and courageous
to deliver them from fear. This unique collection will be long remembered as
an important addition to the annals of aviation history.
Interview
What was your main drive to write this book?
Because my dad was a professional historian, from an early age I was interested in history. I have studied World War II for a long time. While in high school I researched and wrote a short article about an army officer killed during the war. I contacted people who had known this officer and they provided personal recollections which were used in the article which was published in a veteran’s publication. Furthermore, my master’s thesis in history was on a unique American battalion that fought in the Battle of the Bulge. I also wrote a short article about the battalion that appeared in a commercial magazine.
Of course, I always knew about my dad’s military service. In elementary school he gave me a book about the Army Air Forces which I pored over as a kid. It ended up serving as a reference for my book. I also remember seeing his uniform jacket hanging in a closet. There were other mementos too, a B-4 bag (like a suitcase) and a knee board that pilots strapped to one knee to make notes during a long flight. Finding his letters was a surprise to me and provided a new perspective on his service and on his family life during war years. The letters were found in a bundle buried in my father’s office closet in 2016 at the time he died. The idea for the book evolved from this foundation after I retired the next year. So, for this book, finding the letters was a pivotal moment and main drive, because they were a fresh, untapped primary source. A historian friend once told me that finding letters like these is a historian’s dream.
What do you hope readers will learn by reading this book?
I hope readers will learn more about and appreciate the military service of those who did not serve in combat. The story of a once wealthy family struggling in the aftermath of the Depression is also told in the correspondence. I hope readers will also be interested in reading about politics in the 1940s and learn how that turbulent era relates to our current events.
Did you do much research when planning this book?
Yes, I did a great amount of research for this book to put the letters in a historical context, including the use of official government archival records. In his correspondence my father mentions various events and people in the news during the World War II era which are explained in the chapter introductions and explanatory endnotes.
Did you have any main people who helped you in the process of this book or influenced you to write it?
Before I could start work on the book, I organized the letters chronologically, and divided them into distinct groups, for example, all letters written during advanced flying school, etc. I had the original correspondence transcribed by an excellent typist, a history graduate student. After that overwhelming task was completed, because of a birth injury, I typed the manuscript with one hand.
There are several published writers and professional historians who provided me with guidance and advice as I was writing the book. Early on, I was encouraged to let the letters themselves tell the story. My wife’s computer skills and patience assisted me throughout the writing and publishing process. There would be no book without her.
How long did this book take you to write from initial thought to getting published?
I worked on this book for about eight years.
Do you have plans to write more about this topic or new topics?
I have many future ideas! For example, editing and publishing the letters my father wrote while attending Black Mountain College before his World War II service.
About the Authors
Thomas F. Hanchett
Now retired from federal civil service, Thomas Forster Hanchett holds a
bachelor’s degree in government and two master’s degrees, one in
history and one in public administration. In 2016, after his father
Bill’s death, he found over three-hundred letters Bill had written
during WWII. Given Tom’s interest in military history, it seemed only
natural that he be the one to edit and present his father’s letters in
manuscript form. Tom has also written historical and educational articles
for various publications. A native Californian, he resides in North San
Diego County.
William Hanchett
William “Bill” Hanchett (1922-2016) grew up in a wealthy family
in Evanston, Illinois. His father lost his municipal bond company business
during the Great Depression, changing their family’s lifestyle
drastically. Bill attended Black Mountain College, but his time there was
cut short because of World War II. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces,
rising from private to second lieutenant, and then to airplane commander of
a B-24 Liberator bomber. After the war, he continued his education,
worked as a civilian historian for the U.S. Air Force, and taught history
for over thirty years at San Diego State University. Bill authored numerous
articles and historical books, including The Lincoln Murder Conspiracies
(1983). He loved living in San Diego, California, where he spent time
sailing on the bay.
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