Wild Blue U: the story of the U.S. Air Force Academy, by Ed Mack Miller, photographs by Pat Coffey, with an Introduction by Milton Caniff. The Macmillan Company, Collier Books.
This book came out about the time the Spirit of ’76 started, with copyright in 1972. I believe the copy I have was purchased by my parents during Parents Weekend. The timing is fortunate for us because this provides the closest to a book-length contemporaneous account of our Academy experience, at least that I’ve seen.
The book has long been out-of-print and the Macmillan imprint that published this has either ceased operating or merged into its demise. I have submitted a request for use from Macmillan using their online request form and will keep this posted until I get a reply. So if the links below are still working as you read this … just sayin’.
Due to the size of the scans, there is one file for each of the 17 chapters, plus one each for the front matter, the index, and an insert of color photographs.
All of the chapters open with a facing-page spread, which are shown in the slideshow below.
Open/Download Links
- Cover, Front Matter
- The Idea of an Academy: “Society Expects More …”
- Colorado, My Home: A Breathtaking Backdrop
- A Lovely Plant Grows: “Brasilia with Falcons”
- “Arriba Falcones!”: Building a Tradition
- Getting In: “Bring Me Men”
- Boiling Away the Dross: Forty-Two Days
- Academics: Constant Challenge
- Military Training: The Building of a Warrior
- Athletics: “Anyone for Aerospace Water Polo?”
- Cadet Life: Coming of Age in Colorado
- The Honor Code: “Nor Tolerate Among Us …”
- Religion and Morality: The Aluminum Monastery
- Airmanship: The “Guy in the Sky” Program
- ‘Kademy Kapers: All Work and No Play …
- June Week and Beyond: Graduation to Aerospace
- Pounding 4,000 Jugs into Shape: Warts, Pimples, and Pain
- Commitment to Excellence: A Nobility of Warriors
- Index, Back Cover
- Color Insert Pages
Chapters
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