Ordering Information

6×9, 104 pages, full color images and b/w photographs

Publication date: January 2025

ISBN 978-1-963714-02-9 $19.95 (print)

ISBN 978-1-963714-04-3 $9.95 (eBook)

Purchase information:

Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 Main Street, Concord NH

To order books by mail ($19.95 plus $5 shipping), please email dennisvachon54 @ gmail.com

Also available in person at:

Summersworth Historical Museum,

157 Main Street, Somersworth NH

open Sundays 12:30-3:30 PM

Unfaltering Courage

The Diaries of TSgt. Raymond Vachon, a World War II Army Air Corps Flight Engineer and B-24 Top Turret Gunner in the Mediterranean Theater

Diaries, historical photos, and the author’s artwork tell the gripping story of Raymond Vachon’s experience surviving 50 bombing missions in the war-torn skies of Europe during World War II.

by Dennis Vachon

I never fail to be amazed by the bravery and resilience of the men and women who fought in World War II. My dad was one of them, and our family was left with the legacy of diaries he kept while completing fifty missions in the Mediterranean Theater. Those six months were the defining moments of his life.

Ray Vachon’s story stands out in bringing us the perspective of an enlisted airman. It also is a welcome addition to chronicles of the Fifteenth Air Force flying out of southern Italy, a theater of military action that saw many casualties, but less of the limelight than the Eighth Air Force flying from England. Ray’s journal also sheds light on the tragedies that befell servicemen during aerial training in the US in the 1940s.

I begin with a news article from 1990 that brings Ray’s wartime experience to life and draws on a personal interview. His diary then straps us into the gunner’s seat and sends us into the flak field. Ray faithfully records the specific details of each mission, in spite of the fatigue and tension he must have felt after long days over enemy territory. I wanted readers to get a sense of how spartan conditions were for B-24 crews and the incredibly dangerous odds they faced. Looking back, I realize how truly lucky my dad was to survive.

In addition to the raw drama of his never-before-published diary entries, the book includes photographs of good buddies and camp life that turned up among Ray’s memorabilia. My own tribute was creating paintings to help illustrate his remarkable story.

Dad truly was an ordinary man who met the challenge of his times with real heart and unfaltering courage. I hope his story inspires us all to cherish our country, look out for our buddies, kick up our heels when we get the chance, and never ever lose sight of the sweet joy of going home.

—Dennis Vachon

Praise

“I could really relate to Ray’s story. The challenging weather, maintenance issues, threats, camaraderie, and details about flying with a crew. I have flown many combat missions, but I can’t even imagine the danger flight crews faced back then, and the level of losses they sustained. How did they have the courage to keep going? Many families have lost stories, this memoir ensures the heroism and character of TSgt. Vachon will live on. It truly is an amazing story.”

—Col. Matthew Robinson, US Air Force

About the Author

Dennis Vachon, Ray Vachon’s middle child, graduated from the University of New Hampshire, served in the Peace Corps in Senegal, and practiced law in New Hampshire for thirty years. He served ten years in the New Hampshire Legislature. A self-taught artist, Dennis has been painting since his mom bought him a Paint By Numbers set of religious icons when he was ten. He lives in Strafford, New Hampshire, with his wife Jane. He has two adult children, John-Paul Vachon and Dr. Sarah Robinson and her husband Ben, and three grandchildren: Margot, Zoe, and Teddy Robinson.

dennisvachon54 @ gmail.com