The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh

by Charles A. Lindbergh

These journals cover the years 1938 to 1945. In that disastrous stretch of time Charles Lindbergh responded to crises with active intellectual curiosity and extraordinary insight. He studied European aviation. He sought to alert leaders to the military imbalance and the lack of preparation among the Western nations. He made a dedicated endeavor to keep the United States out of a war that he believed seriously threatened to destroy Western civilization. He indicated his awareness of the harsh realities that awaited a stricken and shattered postwar Europe.

In all this variety and range of expeerience there was an underlying concern that the vital impulse --- that elan vital which continuously propels all life toward more complex and more advanced structures in the universe --- not be thwarted or set back by the forces of destruction.

Genres: History, World War II, Aviation, War, Diary, Nonfiction

1038 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Son of Charles A. Lindbergh Sr..
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (nicknamed "Slim," "Lucky Lindy" and "The Lone Eagle") was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.

Lindbergh, then a 25-year old U.S. Air Mail pilot, emerged from virtual obscurity to almost instantaneous world fame as the result of his Orteig Prize-winning solo non-stop on May 20–21, 1927, from Roosevelt Field located in Garden City on New York's Long Island to Le Bourget Field in Paris, France, a distance of nearly 3,600 statute miles, in the single-seat, single-engine monoplane Spirit of St. Louis. Lindbergh, a U.S. Army reserve officer, was also awarded the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his historic exploit.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Lindbergh relentlessly used his fame to help promote the rapid development of U.S. commercial aviation. In March 1932, however, his infant son, Charles, Jr., was kidnapped and murdered in what was soon dubbed the "Crime of the Century" which eventually led to the Lindbergh family fleeing the United States in December 1935 to live in Europe where they remained up until the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Before the United States declared World War II on December 8, 1941, Lindbergh had been an outspoken advocate of keeping the U.S. out of the world conflict, as was his Congressman father, Charles August Lindbergh (R-MN), during World War I, and became a leader of the anti-war America First movement. Nonetheless, he supported the war effort after Pearl Harbor and flew many combat missions in the Pacific Theater of World War II as a civilian consultant, even though President Franklin D. Roosevelt had refused to reinstate his Army Air Corps colonel's commission that he had resigned earlier in 1939.

In his later years, Lindbergh became a prolific prize-winning author, international explorer, inventor, and active environmentalist.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people have heard of Charles Lindbergh because of either the murder of his son or in relation to his 1927 flight.

You may also have heard that he was a Nazi sympathizer, or somehow did something wrong in World War II. That is total nonsense, as this wonderful
journal makes very clear.

There is no time here to go through a long biographical sketch, but I'll go into one common misconception. After his 1927 flight, Lindbergh became the most famous person in the world. By 1931 his fame started to wane a bit, but then his son was born, kidnapped, and murdered. After being relentlessly hounded by the press, he and his wife Anne (an even better writer than he was), left the US to live in England, then France. While there, 1936-1938, they made several flights to Germany and Russia, at the request of the US government, in particular an army officer named Truman Smith. Lindbergh was helping Smith get a firm idea of the German industrial strength, especially as regards to aircraft. He was very impressed with what he saw, and considered German air power to be stronger than the US, France, and England put together. At one state dinner in Berlin, with high ranking American and German officials, Herman Goering surprised Lindbergh by presenting him with a medal. It would have been rude to refuse it, and American officials were trying to get better relations with Germany, so of course he accepted it. This was the beginning of the notion that Lindbergh was a Nazi sympathizer. FDR, who long disliked Lindbergh and considered him a possible political rival, promoted the idea that Lindbergh was a German sympathizer. All of this is crystal clear from the journals.

The journal covers roughly 1938 - 1945. There are five main phases:

1) prewar in Europe

2) prewar public speaking activities to keep the US out of WWII.

3) after Pearl Harbor, service in Detroit helping Henry Ford design and build the B24 bomber.

4) service in the South Pacific during the war, flying fighter planes, especially the Corsair.

5) postwar assessment of Europe.

I've already described phase 1 a bit. I'll say a few words about each of the others. The public speaking was after Germany attacked England, but while
the US was not in the war. Lindbergh very much felt that England should sue for peace and we should stay out of it. This was in fact the majority
opinion in the US before Pearl Harbor. He made several highly publicized speeches to this effect before large crowds and on national radio.

In Detroit, he was constantly shuttling back and forth to Washington and to his home on Long Island. He respected Henry Ford a great deal, but found
him "eccentric." Lindbergh is sometimes accused of being anti-semitic, and one reason that is given is that he associated too much with Henry Ford.
This is unfair.

After Pearl Harbor, he wanted very much to actually get into combat. FDR prevented that. However, he was able to get appointed as a technical observer and advisor in the South Pacific. While there, he actually flew 50 combat missions, scoring one kill. He devised a way to greatly extend the range of the fighter planes. Douglas MacArthur was very impressed with that.

In May and June of 1945 he toured Germany for the US army, reporting on what he saw. He saw the slave camp at Dora, but not the concentration camps.

The book is extremely well written. Ironically, the Lindbergh haters take that as evidence that he didn't really write it, that Anne did! This is
clearly absurd to those who have actually read the book. (I read every page at least once.)

Lindbergh was not without fault. He was not a saint. Some of what he wrote, though completely in the spirit of the times, will seem a bit racist to
a 2013 reader. He spoke of preserving the western European heritage and bloodline, especially in relation to the Russians, who he considered inferior. In the prewar years, he thought Russia a bigger menace than Germany for this reason.

He was a well-read but not especially well educated person. The rough edges occasionally show. He could be stubborn and stand-offish. (But he had good reason to be reserved -- his family was hounded by the press for years.) But the long list of books he remarks that he is reading will embarrass most of us today. There isn't a cheesy novel among them.

He was an incredibly talented and accomplished person, far far more than just a pilot or just a "mechanic". (That is the actual description of him used by a 1990s biographer of Anne Lindbergh -- another example of the pathetic bias one encounters about Charles Lindbergh.) In the end, one is left with the impression of a very fine, serious person, close to noble. A person who knew everyone and saw everything in those years. His perspective on this great period in history is unique and extremely valuable.

[Mark Mortensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh” is a hefty 1,038 pages spanning the period from Friday 3/11/38 – Friday 6/15/1945. It’s amazing how such an energetic person could find time to jot down so many daily notes, but then again this was the era before television. His selection of black and white photos adds full complement.

The American hero is known for his bravery and hand-eye coordination and physical ability flying the first successful non-stop transatlantic flight on May 21, 1927, yet it was Lindbergh’s gifted mind that challenged America to perfect WWII aviation. He remains one of the most misunderstood public figures of his time. His initial isolationist stance to remain at peace aligned him with the America First movement prior to the bombing of Pear Harbor and in some circles his image suffered because he found much disagreement with President Roosevelt. However when America declared war, Lindbergh, the 39 year old family man living on Martha’s Vineyard changed his viewpoint as noted by his entry on December 12, 1941: Now that we are at war I want to contribute as best I can to my country’s war effort”. The former colonel made notable contributions during the war starting as a consultant and test pilot for Ford Motor Company’s Willow Run plant that was transformed to aircraft production. He developed a close relationship with Henry Ford and remained in awe of his thought process and success. Later in the war years he obtained permission to wear a naval officer’s uniform without an insignia and wrangled his way to the South Pacific as an active combat pilot. After many missions it was deemed that his status as a civilian fighter pilot was not legal, however following a brief reset he was back in the air on attack.

Several bits of trivia remain in my mind. One will find intimate details ranging from the boil on his son Jon’s knee to a high level prewar German conference. At age 6 he handled a .22 caliber rifle. Throughout his life he enjoyed the company and conversation with highly successful individuals. I found Lindbergh’s prewar social engagement in England with Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, his wife Rose and their eldest son Joe Jr. to be a moment in history.

Like other journals one can really step inside the daily life of the individual, but Lindbergh’s diary is as much a personal memoir as it is a unique time capsule of American society. In March of 1942 he found a moment to view Plymouth Rock stating: “Such artificial preservation cheapens history and creates a false sense of values”. A day later he penned his thoughts regarding limited federal government saying: “…it annoys me to have to ask the government’s [USA] permission to make a connection with a commercial company; it’s too damn much like Russia!” I appreciated his words: “I stand on the beach and look to the stars. I wonder why man describes as progress the science which screens such beauty from his life. In our search for knowledge we lose appreciation and trade God’s great gifts for man-made baubles.”

He shunned the limelight and often wore eyeglass rims without glass as a simple disguise. He employed this practice one afternoon with some free time in Washington, D.C. It had been 12 years since he last flew the Spirit of St. Louis so he ventured over to the Smithsonian Institution and found an isolated corner in the room of President’s wives where he could stand by Martha Washington’s dress in a glass case and at the same time glance to the side to view his old plane.

Above all Lindbergh loved his wife Ann. He cherished watching his sons’ Jon and Land mature, the birth of Anne, Jr. and Scott along with the companionship of his dogs. Another joy came from coastal living and it’s apparent that the man longed for an endless life of simple peaceful serenity by the oceans edge. I appreciated the profound statement he made while in Florida on Friday January 21, 1944: “I stand on the beach and look to the stars. I wonder why man describes as progress the science which screens such beauty from his life. In our search for knowledge we lose appreciation and trade God’s great gifts for man-made baubles.”

It’s stated that a good book can take one on a journey and although this is not a classic novel I looked forward to each new daily entry to follow Lindbergh.

[Kevin Keating · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindbergh's journals were excellently written and show quite a bit of his character and analytical style. For anyone interested in aviation and World War 2, this book is very interesting. These observations are from a guy who had unique access to German, French, American and British aviation prior to WW2. I was interested also in just how cretinous it makes FDR look. At 1000 pages it was a bit long.

[Edmund Roughpuppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique life and a sensitive observer.

Lindbergh interested me for some time, but I had never read a book about him exclusively. This volume was mentioned in A Book of One’s Own: People and their diaries, by Thomas Mallon, and I picked it up.

You may already know the basics of his life, that he was unknown until he piloted the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic in 1927, when he was 25 years old. He became active in politics during the 1930s, attempting to prevent the United States from involvement in World War II.

It is difficult for me to take in the magnitude of his influence on America. In one long night, Lindbergh became the best-known and most widely-admired man in the western world. Every powerful person in industry, the military and government wanted to collaborate with him, to make use of his name and image—and money rained down from the sky. This attention remained on him until his death in 1974, and many people remain fascinated with him today, 121 years after his birth.

The journal entries in this book range from the late 1930s to the mid 1940s. As expected from the title, they deal mostly with the war, and specifically with Lindbergh’s desire to keep America out.

Thursday, September 7, 1939
I have now written one article and two radio talks, but events have moved so rapidly that the first two are already out of date. I do not intend to stand by and see this country pushed into war if it is not absolutely essential to the future welfare of the nation. Much as I dislike taking part in politics and public life, I intend to do so if necessary to stop the trend which is now going on in this country.

As we examine events from the opposite side of the War, we may not realize that public opinion was solidly opposed to fighting, right up to 1942.

Saturday, May 10, 1941
As I go around to these [America First] meetings I feel that, without question, if this country is run by people, we will not enter this war. I always feel this way, after one of our meetings is over; but I know that tomorrow, or the day, after, as I read the misinformation and propaganda in our newspapers, I will begin to wonder whether people can withstand such a barrage indefinitely.

One year earlier, in May 1940, a poll conducted one week after Nazi Germany invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, showed that Americans overwhelmingly opposed entering World War II.
Question: Do you think the United States should declare war on Germany and send our army and navy abroad to fight?
No = 93%
Yes = 7% —American Institute of Public Opinion


Highly intelligent, Lindbergh knew he would anger powerful people by taking a stand against the War, especially the president, Franklin Roosevelt. Many other observers thought Roosevelt was looking for the right opportunity or justification for joining the fight. Even if they were mistaken, no president welcomed direction from an Air Force colonel, potentially limiting his options as Commander in Chief.

After Pearl Harbor, Lindbergh volunteered to fight, but his service was rejected. His enemies in the government and the services did not receive his former “constructive criticisms” gladly. Nevertheless, Lindbergh maneuvered his way to the Pacific and flew many combat missions there. This is where the book gripped me. It’s unusual for a book to lose my interest in the middle, then rise to a new level in the second half.

Wednesday, May 24, 1944
I hope that there are no natives in that hut. "Shoot anyway. The natives on new Ireland are unfriendly. All the plantations have been taken over by the Japanese." That's the trouble with this air war. You don't know what you’re shooting at. The hut may be empty. It may be full of Japanese soldiers. It may be a cover for machine guns. It may hold a mother and a child. "The area is unlimited. Everything is at target. All the natives are unfriendly. Japanese have taken over the plantations."

You press the trigger and death leaps forth–4,200 projectiles a minute. Tracers bury themselves in walls and roof. Dust springs up from yard and garden. Inside may be emptiness or writhing agony. You never know. Holes in a dirt floor; a machine gun out of action; a family wiped out; you go on as you were before. Below, all is silence again. Death has passed. It is in your cockpit. You carried it in your hands. You hurled it down into those peaceful, palm tops. You wiped out a squad of any truths, surprised by the suddenness of your attack. You endangered your life and your plane to attack an empty and worthless native hut. You left children wounded and dying behind you.

While all of Lindbergh’s observations are well-written and worth consideration, he never re-evaluated his isolationist convictions. Like Roosevelt, Charles did not embrace self-criticism. He exhibited extreme, unwavering confidence in his own opinions throughout his life. His wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh once explained his rigidity this way:

He had grown up listening only to himself and relying on his own judgment: his survival as a pilot had depended on following his own instincts. “If he had listened to others,” Anne told her daughter, “he never would have gotten to Paris.” —Lynne Olson, Those Angry Days

These entries are only an appetizer for me. I want to learn more about this fascinating man.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read much on the life and times of Charles A. Lindbergh, but until I read his Wartime Journals, I feel I didn’t know him very well. Here, reading his journal entries from 1938-45, you get to see his genius, his eloquence, and his true opinions on current events, unaltered and unblemished by someone else’s personal interpretation. No one knew flight and aircraft the way Lindbergh did. The way he extended the accepted and established range of the aircraft he flew astounded everyone, including General Douglas MacArthur. Also covered in these extensive and quite lyrical journal entries are details on his family, his travels to Europe at the behest of the German, British, French and Soviet governments, his attempts to keep us out of yet another European war and the resulting confrontation with FDR, and his heroic exploits in the South Pacific fighting the Japanese. His travels to France and Germany just a couple of weeks after V-E Day in 1945 and his observations on what he saw led to the most cogent and poignant comments in his journals, reflecting on the cruelty of mankind against his own species. I loved this book.

[Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man between eras. He was born in 1902. His thinking, training and instincts were those prior to WWI. This book covers his life from 1939 through 1945. There is a lot in this 1000 page book. As you read it, you realize that he has a genuine understanding of what the war is going to look like. You notice that his observations are outside of the public and, most obviously, not in line with the newspapers. His dislike of FDR is felt more and more strongly as you read along.

When he gets to the Pacific, he shows another side, one that is not so endearing. Even though he was kept out of combat, until that point, the war had changed him. The Lindbergh from the beginning of the book was a shade in the background.

Read the book and you will learn about the man, about our country, and how people change over time.

[John Ruley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For historians of US aviation in WWII, this is an essential book. For those interested in Lindbergh's career - and confused by his "fall from grace" just before WWII - this book provides a level of detail to understand how an extraordinary man misread the times he lived in, and found a way to use his talents when blacklisted by the government of the day. Not an easy book to read, but worth the effort for those interested.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it slowly, typically in pieces, and that worked well as I had time to think about his comments and understand him.Bright patriotic man. I found interesting his comments about how the Germans after WWI could make bombs by legal methods, hence the term "German engineering" which seems lifted right out of the book.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have not finished reading, but is a most thought provoking book of the era prior to WW2. Have just finished reading. I thought it was a very interesting book.