The Silver King's War

Send a text This episode begins The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from Barksdale Army Air Base in Shreveport, Louisiana.  It's after D-Day (June 6) and the start of a deep, humid 1944 summer.  Stanley's Air Corps dream assignment is about to begin.  He and his guys have heard that the B-26 is a hot ride. Now The King, after a surprising and pleasant fifteen-day le...

Send a text This episode is the conclusion of The Silver King's letters, “Dearest Ones,” from Columbia Army Air Base in South Carolina.  Stanley, our hero, was anticipating shipment to his POE for the European Theater of Operations.  Suddenly, new orders will send bombardiers to Barksdale Army Air Base in Shreveport, Louisiana, for advanced training on the B-26.  The Silver King will get the...

Send a text This episode is Part Seven of The Silver King's Letters, “Dearest Ones,” from Columbia Army Air Base in Columbia, South Carolina.  Stanley is working hard, flying longer training missions, some of which become grand adventures.  It's spring 1944 and he is, officially, a co-pilot. He received his check-rider approval one year from his late April 1943 pilot-school washout in La...

Send a text This episode is Part Six of Stanley's letters, "Dearest Ones," from Columbia Army Air Base in South Carolina.  It's early April 1944.  The Silver King has completed ground school.  He and his guys continue to train on heavy bombers and the B-25.  Stanley will be 21 on April 23. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please review The Silver King's War on Apple...

Send a text This episode is Part Five in The Silver King's letters, “Dearest Ones,” from advance bomber training in Columbia, South Carolina.  Stanley's flying longer training runs on larger planes and enjoying the work. And, he remains hopeful about a car. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please review The Silver King's War on Apple Podcasts Read podcast episodes with the Ap...

Send a text This episode is Part Four of The Silver King's letters, “Dearest Ones,” from advance training at Columbia Army Air Base.   Stanley is pressing his case for a car.  It's a long way to the flight line and this idea may be more realistic than marriage.  He’ll need a loan to make it happen.  Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please review The Silver King's War on Apple...

Send a text This episode is Part Three of the Silver King's letters, “Dearest Ones,” from advanced bomber training at Columbia Army Air Base in South Carolina.   Stanley's letters follow a pattern of writing when time allows for an update to his family in Birmingham, Alabama.  He's lonely and certainly closer to home than New Mexico.  Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please r...

Send a text This episode is Part Two of Stanley's letters, "Dearest Ones," from advance bomber training in at Columbia Army Air Base in South Carolina.  Stanley’s enjoying an easy start to this phase as an officer.  He reports to the base each morning, eats breakfast or lunch, and is then free for the day.  If the schedule works, he dines at a local hotel. The pace is comfortable bu...

Send a text This episode is Part One of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from advance bomber training at Columbia Army Air Base in Columbia, South Carolina.  As an officer, Stanley lives off base in a private home.  He enjoys the freedom and privacy earned through his hard work and commitment to the U. S. Army Air Corps. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please revie...

Send a text This episode is the epilogue for the Second Arc of "Dearest Ones," the letters that Stanley wrote to his family throughout the war.  Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War podcast series, discusses his father's story and writing as he trains for and completes bomber school in January 1944. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail....

Send a text This episode is Part Seven and the conclusion of Stanley's letters, "Dearest Ones," from bomber school in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  He's in the final three-week stretch to graduation and his gold bars.  And,  significantly, The Silver King may request advance training on the B-26, the Martin Marauder.  The anticipation for January 1944 is intense and hopeful for these...

Send a text This episode is Part Six in The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from bomber school at the Carlsbad Army Air Base in New Mexico.  He's enjoying life as a prominent cadet in a small town.  He's met a local gal, Mary, and seems satisfied with his professional progress.  Graduation day is coming into view. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please revie...

Send a text This episode is Part Five of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from bomber school at Carlsbad Army Air Field in New Mexico.  His training, socializing, flying and "hitting the shack" with practice bombs intensifies with hard work and long hours.  Stanley deploys his talents as a student, friend and rising Air Corps cadet.  The Silver King reigns and re...

Send a text This episode is Part Four in The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from bomber school at the Carlsbad Army Air Base in New Mexico.  Stanley is working hard, enjoying new friends, and doing well as he aims for graduation and an Air Corps commission in January 1944. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please review The Silver King's War on Apple Podcasts Read...

Send a text This episode is Part Three of the Silver King's letters, " Dearest Ones," from bomber school in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  The work to earn his gold bars is difficult and rewarding.  He's never worked harder and felt better about his life.  Stanley is clear in his writing home: he will not fail again.  Bomber school will be his redemption.  He's flying, "hitti...

Send a text This episode is Part Two of the Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from bomber school at Carlsbad Army Air Base in New Mexico.  He and his war buddy, J. J. Sherry, settle in for the hard work and good times. Stanley's letters follow a weekly pattern which allows time for a thorough, thoughtful update to his family in Birmingham, Alabama.  He's a busy Air Co...

Send a text This episode is Part One of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from bomber school in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  It's mid-September 1943.  Our hero, Stanley, has reached this destination to earn his gold bars as a bombardier.  It will be four months of intensive, satisfying work.  He's ready to prove his worthiness as a cadet who earns his commission as a bo...

Send a text This episode is Part Five of the Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from Las Vegas, Nevada.  Stanley graduates from Gunnery School and earns his silver wings.  Then he visits the original Las Vegas strip casinos to refine and burnish his gambling reputation as he prepares for the next hoped-for destination: bomber school, gold bars and his commission as a United Stat...

Send a text This episode is Part Four of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from gunnery school near Las Vegas, Nevada. It's hot, Stanley's working hard, and the end of this intense, difficult training sequence is close. The King is flying practice missions and shooting machine guns to simulate enemy encounters while in the air. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail....

Send a text This episode is Part Three of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from gunnery school in the desert outside Las Vegas, Nevada.  It's summer, the weather is often 120 degrees. Gunnery school is a necessary diversion before bomber school and the installation has a swimming pool. The squadron visits the El Rancho Casino and then posts to Indian Springs, forty mi...

Send a text This episode is Part Two of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from Las Vegas, Nevada.  Our hero is in gunnery school as he continues the training to earn his gold bars as a bombardier.  He writes of machine guns, weather and gambling at his favorite casinos, including The Last Frontier, on the original Las Vegas strip. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Ple...

Send a text This episode is Part One of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones,"  from the Air Corps Gunnery School in the Nevada desert.  It's a deep, hot summer and six weeks of work to earn Gunner's Wings.  Stanley and his squad rode a troop train from the Santa Ana Army Air Base to a post seven miles from Las Vegas.  He's ready to do the work to reach Bomber sch...

Send a text This episode is Part Three of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones," from the Santa Ana Army Air Base in California.  It's been a long, boring, repetitive stretch at a massive installation that was revealed as just a parking spot for Stanley's squadron.  The Army Air Corps moved troops when training space opened for the cadets. Contact us: thesilverkingswar...

Send a text This episode is Part Two of Stanley's letters, "Dearest Ones," from the Santa Ana Army Air Base in California.  As the weather improves, The Silver King fights the training boredom with thoughts of an open post visit to see the ladies and stars in Hollywood.  He becomes a devotee of the legendary Biltmore Hotel. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please review The S...

Send a text This episode is Part One of The Silver King's letters, "Dearest Ones,"  from Santa Ana Army Air Base in California.  Stanley rode a troop train with his guys across the nation from Nashville to a posting literally down the street from where Glenn L. Martin built his first plane.  Martin built the B-26, the Marauder, that Stanley rode during his war.  Our hero is far from...