Fighting Fifteen: The Navy's Top Ace and the Deadliest Hellcat Squadron of

Stephen L. Moore recounts the story of the heroic Fighting Fifteen from World War Two at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 20, at the Allen Christian Church in Allen Heritage Village, 450 E. St. Mary Dr.

Through meticulous sleuthing, Stephen L. Moore discovered VF-15 diaries and memoirs and tapped into numerous family archives and photo collections to bring fresh material to this project.

One of the first to blend a fighter-bomber unit into his air group, Captain David McCampbell ended his tour of duty as the Navy’s “ace of aces.” With thirty-four confirmed enemy planes shot down, McCampbell received the U.S. Medal of Honor. His “Fighting Fifteen” played a major role in bringing an end to the War in the Pacific.

Moore explains, “He transformed talented but disparate individuals into a selfless team of well-trained aviators. By the time the Fighting Fifteen, nicknamed “Satan’s Playmates,” formally entered the Pacific War with a series of daring island strikes, they were ready."

A frequent lecturer for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas at the Alamo, the San Jacinto Museum of History, and other historical organizations, Stephen has twice been a featured author at the Texas Book Festival in Austin and is a contributing book reviewer for the Dallas Morning News.

Copies of Stephen’s book will be available for purchase and signing.

Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the program is free.

Also check out other Festivals in Allen, Arts events in Allen, Literary Art events in Allen.