"Delving deeply into unpublished unit and command histories from World War II, Dr. Fisher’s book shines a light on the under-studied and under-appreciated role of the enlisted maintainer in supporting the immense aerial armada that played such a large role in the victory over Japan." —Laurence M. Burke II, author of At the Dawn of Airpower: The U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps’ Approach to the Airplane, 1907–1917

“Finally! Stan Fisher fills an eight decade historiographical void with an illuminating narrative on how the Navy made critical institutional and cultural changes to build a gargantuan naval aircraft maintenance and repair infrastructure integral to naval aviation operations in all World War II naval theaters. The types of challenges Fisher addresses have contemporary counterparts that make this book not only a candidate for the CNO’s reading list but of the Harvard Business School as well!” –David F. Winkler, staff historian, Naval Historical Foundation

“At the Battle of Midway, the great majority of Japanese pilots actually survived, but almost all the highly trained and skilled aircraft maintainers died, with profound negative strategic consequences. This book masterfully shows how the U.S. Navy overcame a myriad of problems to belatedly create the critical aircraft maintenance capability vital for victory." —Rear Admiral Sam Cox, U.S. Navy (Ret.) - Naval Historian and former Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence.

“Much has been written about American carriers in WWII, but practically nothing has been produced regarding how that carrier aviation force was kept in the fight. In this unique volume, Fisher “looks under the hood” to see how the USN adapted during the war years to produce the necessary aviation techs to support the world’s mightiest carrier force.” —Jonathan Parshall, co-author, Shattered Sword, the Untold Story of the Battle of Midway