WWII Flying Ace: Robert L. Scott | GPB Documentaries

Best known as author of the book, God is My Co-Pilot and for his World War II air combat service, Robert L. Scott captured the attention of the nation in desperate need of a hero. Challenged to carry on the winning tradition of General Chennault's famous Flying Tigers, Colonel Scott led by example - downing a total of 13 Japanese airplanes with nine more listed as "probables". But the life and character of this famous American airman is even more...
Soar into the story of World War II ace fighter pilot Robert L. Scott, including a hometown return late in life as decorated veteran and local hero.
Original air date: 2011. Want more History? Check out our website at www.gpb.org/te...

[@ajg617]

I wrote Gen Scott a letter as a teen asking if he still intended to write the sequel but I never mailed it. Though I didn't know it, my mother did and included a small check asking if he could send a picture. I received a beautiful letter and some photos from the General just before my birthday. I am sure he typed it - there was a good amount of white-out:) Some months later, a gold bound copy of God is Still My Co-Pilot arrived with my name listed as a patron. The check was never cashed. His books and commitment to this country were life changing events for me.

[@Captain_Kickass-l1f]

I love this.

[@johnresto1603]

That's an amazing story.

[@ajg617]

@@johnresto1603 There is actually a second chapter to this story. I hand built a model of a P-40 in AVG livery for parents night and wrote a report on the AVG impact on China. My new history teacher from Boston openly mocked the paint scheme livery and story in front of the whole class. I told her she was clueless and she sent me to the office. Turns out my math teacher across the hall heard the commotion and pulled me back into her room insisting on seeing my model then lectured the class for the rest of that period. Turns out he flew P-40s out of Nichols Field with the 17th PS at the outbreak. There was dead silence when he told the class (and teacher) that he had nearly been killed in combat flying exactly the same aircraft type. The AVG was an inspiration to the few there. 2nd Lt John Posten and one other pilot ferried two damaged P-40s to Maramag airstrip for repair and had the sharks mouth painted on them. News of the open mocking got around and what followed was an incredible week of all teachers who served sharing their stories in every class including one showing the wounds he received on Omaha Beach. RIP Gen Scott and Mr. Posten.

[@marcustullis245]

What an excellent production about an exceptional man and American! I have long followed the exploits of the AVG since my days in elementary school. General Claire Lee Chennault and Colonel Robert L. Scott were among my biggest heroes as I grew up, along with Davis "Tex" Hill, Chuck Older, Bob Neale, Robert T. Smith, and Ed Rector. All of them part of the original AVG or brought into the group shortly after the AVG was absorbed into the Army Air Corps. The stories and exploits of Col. Scott as he commanded the 23rd Fighter Group of the 14th Air Force are stories I still enjoy returning to when the urge to reflect on great men and their lives and impact begs my attention. Thank you for this superb production. This is the type of material that serves GPB so very well and inspires young men through successive generations to greatness. This should be required viewing in every classroom in Georgia.

[@stevekirby6034]

I share your boyhood fascination with the AVG and it's heroes. R.T. Smith was my dad's cousin and although I never met R.T. my dad had him send me a signed copy of his book. It is of course one of my prized possessions. My wife and I just returned from vacation where I read God is My Copilot once again. Just can't get enough!

[@evangreen7562]

Amazing video. Robert Scott was my inspiration for pursuing my private pilot certificate. I finally completed that goal not long ago. I’m lucky enough to have an autographed wartime copy of his book that I am going to hand down to my kids.

[@maitlandmoore6426]

Scotty was on the radar of the Japanese , they knew there weren't many American pilots . So what did he do ? When he came home from an attack , he would paint the nose cone of his plane a different color as to change their Perception . It worked , stories were coming in that the Americans were thicker than thought but all flew with aggression and pride like no others .Go Tigers , the world thanks you . Read his book , it's awesome .

[@michaelbenjmitchell1]

The book covered both the time he was in the AVG and when it became the 23rd PG and was the only Army AirCorps Pursuit Group to be made of Ex Navy and Marine pilots with Army Air Corps pilots mixed in. In the end the Army Air Corps ended up commissioning them into the army as commissioned Officers as regulations required it.

[@jilldavidaon9686]

That was the first air warfare book I read in the fifth grade. I was hooked.

[@kerrywatson8581]

What a man! The book is great!

[@2098elk]

I thought I knew a lot about the AVG but this showed me things I didn't know. I have the movie and book God is My Co-Pilot. All of them were heroes!

[@michaelbenjmitchell1]

General Scott passed away 3 years before my grandfather. My grandfather himself was also a hometown war hero growing up in Grand Rapids Michigan. Joined the Army in 1942 at the age of 17 spent 2 years in England before landing at Normandy spent June through November building Red Route 1 before finding himself in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge. Then getting transferred to the Pacific just in time for the Invasion of Okinawa.

[@BillB23]

One of your better productions. Thank you from Lithonia, Georgia.

[@wiliiamoweniii8669]

Great book! Great Man 🙏

[@bobmenzies4137]

Respects to General Robert L Scott he was like my closest !

[@kenlodge3399]

I remember that. Yessir, that was the first great war movie I ever saw, lol, "God Is My Co-Pilot," and I seen just about every one! Well I'll be a Wang-dang doodle and if I can paraphrase Major Kong from the second greatest war film I ever saw, Dr. Strangelove, "I been to one World's Fair, a Picnic and a Rodeo and I ain't ever heard anything like that..." I too also read Gen. Scott's book after I discovered it in my Jr. High's School library - I kid you not. Man-O-Man does that bring back some great memories or what. It'd be a lot of fun if I could see that movie again, I really liked it a lot. That must've been 1961 or 2 when I seen that movie. I was a spry little brat, knee high to a grass hopper. Thank you for reminding me of that!

[@user-pk1yh1wf2p]

an extraordinary man indeed

[@vincentnavea6999]

i just saw the movie online. amazing story.

[@argus1393]

He was one of my heros when I was in grade school. I haven't changed my opinion. RIP to a great american.

[@davidchapman2839]

God is My Copilot was the second I ever read and was a major influence in my early life; years later I was befriended and mentored by N. Lee Dillow who served with Robert Scott as a navigator and flight engineer flying the "Hump".. Never got to meet Scott but the few times I got Lee to discuss his service he was quite complementary regarding Scott and almost painfully humble about his time with the Flying Tigers. Probably the finest man I have ever known. He, Scott and the rest of the AVG and Flying Tigers were definitely part of the Greatest Generation.

[@johngilbert6036]

Boy, do we need these people in our military today. God be with him.

[@markrobinson1135]

This guy is a leader

[@madmanmechanic8847]

This made me tear up I have such love and admiration for these guys . They truly were the greatest generation. He live to be almost a 100 God bless this man . Men like this will never come back they dont make them like this anymore

[@AntiqueAirshow]

A very good documentary about a quite remarkable man. Very inspiring

[@GPB]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@GPB I honestly reckon this one of the best story telling in a documentary I've watched for a long time. Very engaging

[@George-bz1fi]

Really good, thanks.

[@otisarmyalso]

Grateful for such

[@JS-ob4oh]

Actually, the P-40 was obsolete by 1939. Every fighter in the Axis inventory outclassed it. And, yet, the US still was able to put it to use.

[@freeholdtacticalmed]

Pilot skills, tactics and brass balls…

[@69Applekrate]

Well done!

[@Edward-kk4dl]

❤❤❤❤❤usa. Edward did buy book. 1964. The great artist

[@randalldunkley1042]

The book should be read by students for extra credit. So many young people today just are not aware of our own history.

[@dinosoarmotorsports]

So, who's the person who clicked a "thumbs down" for this video?...and why??

[@Captain_Kickass-l1f]

I don't know but they are probably still hiding in their university safe space.

[@kimberlywilliams7543]

He must be Japanese!

[@Bryanscott88]

GodBless this true 🇺🇸American🇺🇲 hero!!!

[@adamdelarozza1985]

Maybe they could work on an updated version of the movie, "God is my Co-Pilot". The younger generation would be very interested in the story. I know I want to see that as the author has a lot of accurate factual information, non-fiction American History!

[@user-lc4iq5nr7y]

So Domi .loved the movie and ts if the flying yigers

[@user-lc4iq5nr7y]

So do I .I loved the movie and the book and the history of the tigers

[@pauloribeiro804]

Quando adolescente, em Recife , Pernambuco, no Brasil, lia o livro " Deus é Meu Co-piloto", uma tradução da Biblioteca do Exército.

[@krautyvonlederhosen]

VF17s Tom Blackburn said,”It was so exciting, I compared my first kill with my first piece of ass.” Gotta love fighter jocks

[@edmondmcdowell9690]

Read " God is my Co Pilot" as a teen. Have also seen the Hollywood wartime movie version with Dennis Morgan as Scott. The ubiquitous Chinese American actor Benson Fong played his Japanese ace nemesis who gets his "six feet of China" dirt in their final dual. Correction Richard Loo not Benson Fong (Thank you Dominick Aruzzo) . Loo did get to play a good guy in 1950 "The Steel Helmet."

[@dominickarruzzo197]

Richard Loo played Tokyo Joe

[@user-lc4iq5nr7y]

They were al heros .pappy boyington ,al the tiger pilots thank you.

[@naardri]

The Museum of Aviation Foundation exhibit on Scott is good. It is noted that the title of the book had to pass censors as the usage of the word "God" in the title was questioned. Scott won as he claimed that he always felt "God" was with him. It was the first time the word "God" was used in a non-religious publication in the USA. One other item..seems that all Scott claimed shooting downs did not have eyewitnesses to said events.

[@billschofield4802]

Why do you have to play that music so loud??????

[@tonyaxeman4381]

Okay the Flying tigers shot down Japanese But not for America but for China . Sadly how quickly they forget. The Tigers had to be discharged from the US . Hope the pay was worth it.

[@evangreen7562]

The pay was incredible in those days.

[@eugenecourier7898]

We weren’t in the war yet, that’s why they fought for them.

[@RJC369]

They were ordered to China by President Roosevelt, in secret to fight Japanese.

[@kenneth9874]

It was, and it gave the Americans a core of experienced fighter pilots when needed.