The Long Rangers

About the Book

“The Long Rangers” is the provocative WWII memoir of John Seymour Pangborn, a young engineer in the United States Air Force. Barely out of high school, John enlists in the armed services but his eagerness to participate in the war effort is curtailed by endless training and red tape. Still, John dutifully learns the ropes, participating in drills of skill and memory that will help him survive on the field of battle. After spending a year in training camps in the Deep South, the nation’s heartland, and on the golden coast of California, John and his Air Force crew are finally summonsed to take part in Allied fight in the Far East Theatre. As the war grinds on and the air battles become more intense, John gets a first-hand education about survival and man’s inhumanity to man. What follows is a clear and harrowing account of a group of noble young men flung into desperate missions for which they know there may be no return.

About the Author

John Seymour Pangborn was born in Highland Park, Michigan in 1925. He served his country in WWII in the Army Air Corp, 13th Division of the Pacific Theater. John was awarded the Victory Medal and three ribbons: American Theater, The Asiatic-Pacific Theater and the Philippine Liberty. He also received five bronze Battle Stars. After returning home from the Far East he attended Michigan State University where he met his wife to be, Patricia Dawn Hagle. They married shortly after graduating from MSU in 1950. John worked for the Standard Oil Company for 25 years as a Sales Manager. He was active in Junior Achievement and a proud member of P.H.I. Kappa Tau Fraternity. He was also active in the Vero Beach Florida branch of the Sons of the American Revolution. John and Patricia have four children and five grandchildren. John died in Vero Beach in March 2006.