Among the stories we read or hear every day, some seem insignificant, boring, even irritating. Others leave you breathless, captivated, leaving you staring in admiration at the person telling you the story. Then, there are the stories that mark your life forever. Captain George Rarey’s is one of them...

Captain George Whiston Rarey

Life before World War II

Once upon a time, there was a young boy named George Whiston Rarey, who used to be called by his family name; so much so that some people thought it was his real first name. This young boy was born on May 7^th, 1917, in Oklahoma, where he spent his childhood and school years.

Then, the young boy became a young man and left his home State to settle in New York City, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, and make a living from his passion for drawing. Indeed, Rarey had a gift for drawing, which enabled him to draw for commercial purposes.

It was during this period that he met Betty Lou, the love of his life.

His life in 1940 was that of a young man, madly in love with his life and art of all kinds. The war seemed so far away for him at the time, as it did for many young Americans of his age.

But then came the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941, and everything changed…

Rarey's debuts as a pilot

George Whiston Rarey was drafted into the U.S. Army in mid-January 1942, bidding farewell to a world he had loved so much…

Rarey reported to the Greenwich Village Induction Centre, where he underwent a series of medical and psychological tests. It was here that he was asked if he wanted to consider training to become a pilot. Funny situation for a gentleman who had never learned how to drive a car in his life… But he accepted, and was then transferred to Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama, for pre-flight training. 

While Rarey's life was about to change considerably, he never stopped drawing and had brought a sketchbook with him to document what was about to become his new life, although he never really settled into it.

Bird drawings soon became his signature. He always depicted them humorously, trying to escape the increasing number of airplanes in the sky, or caricaturing events that had taken place at the base.

George Rarey's drawing, 'Laughters and Tears', by Damon Rarey, p.31

He even drew himself as a parrot, and as a fervent pipe smoker, his self-portraits never omitted this detail.

Rarey's autoportrait, illustrated in the book 'Laughters and Tears', by Damon Rarey

Rarey also drew for others, in corners of envelopes, and later, on their aircraft.

For the moment, Rarey and his teammates had theoretical courses, such as Morse coding, but also physical ones.

To fly, he would have to wait until his transfer to the Primary Flying School in Ocala, Florida…

His beginnings in aviation, which demanded rigor and a good sense of direction, were somewhat complicated… In fact, in one of his letters to Betty Lou, he explained, with a sense of humor that was typical of him: 

“When the whole world beneath you looks like a patchwork quilt, it’s a little difficult to know just where you are and what direction you are flying in relation to the airport. You must also be continually aware of what direction the wind is in.

Now for a guy who invariably comes out of subways in the wrong direction and can’t even navigate himself through Greenwich Village without getting lost, this can be tough!”

“’So funny, all my life I’ve avoided routine, ordered procedure and mental discipline and these are the very qualities that are most important in a good flyer”.

Enchanted interlude

Like a parenthesis in a pilot's life, Betty Lou came to Ocala, on June 13^th, 1942, and the two lovebirds got married. 

George Rarey's drawing, 'Laughters and Tears', by Damon Rarey, p.25

Shortly after, Rarey transferred to the Basic Flying School in Greenville, Mississippi, for two months, before leaving for the Advanced Flying School in Selma, Alabama.

A U.S. Air Corps pilot was born

Here, the cartoonist graduated and officially became a U.S. Air Corps pilot of the 379^th Fighter Squadron, in February 1943. He was stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts, to train to fly the P-47. 

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, nicknamed "Jug" for its large size and robustness, was one of the most important American fighter aircraft of the Second World War.

Republic P-47 Thunderbolts

On March 1^st, 1943, the 379th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the 362^nd Fighter Group, which was established at Westover Field.

It was at this time that Betty Lou met Lorna Palmer, herself the wife of a 379^th Fighter Squadron pilot who had just arrived from Seattle with her two-year-old daughter, in order to move closer to her husband, the Second Lieutenant George S. Palmer. 

The two couples became close friends and decided to rent a house all together, in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a forty-five-minute bus ride from Westover Field.  This meant that the two pilots would make the journey at nightfall and leave for the base at dawn almost every day.

Nevertheless, the moments drawn by the cartoonist are moments of joy, those of an almost normal life. 

In May, the owners of the house decided to return, and the little family had to move to North Wilbraham, not knowing that they were sharing their last moments altogether…

It was a normal day in a pilot’s routine, a summer day in 1943, on July 16^th… George Palmer tragically died at Chicopee Falls, during routine training. Shortly after informing the flight leader that his propeller was not working properly, his plane crashed. He was twenty-four…

It was a shock for the little family, and Rarey will not draw again until his departure for England…

Rarey's journey to become a pilot

Rarey's last days in his home country 

Our story continues on November 12^th, 1943, when the 362^nd Fighter Group was transferred to Camp Shanks, on Long Island, near New York.

Embarkation for England was imminent, an opportunity for Rarey to fight time while he still could…

Indeed, the camp’s proximity to Greenwich Village, to which Betty Lou had returned after the tragedy that had occurred that summer, enabled him to join her during the ten days he waited for his transfer, from 0600pm to 0300am.

Ten days together that would be their last…

On November 22^nd, 1943, he and his comrades were transferred from Camp Shanks to the Queen Elizabeth. 

Before being a transatlantic cruise ship, from 1946, the Queen Elizabeth, which was launched in 1938, was used as a troopship during World War II. In fact, requisitioned for wartime service on November 13^th, 1940,  it has transported more than 750,000 troops in total.

Known to be one of the largest passenger lines ever built, with its 1,031 feet long and 118.5 feet large (in comparison, the Titanic was 882 feet long and 92 feet large), it crossed the Atlantic until 1968, before burning and sinking in 1972 during refitting at Hong Kong.

Queen Elizabeth during World War II

It is at 0300am, on November 14^th, 1943, that they boarded the largest ship in the world! After waiting for almost twelve hours, they finally departed New York harbor, late in the afternoon on the same day.

Rarey set foot in England 


It is on November 29^th, 1943, that the pilots of the 362^nd Fighter Group, now assigned to Ninth Air Force, first set foot on the British territory, arriving near the Firth of Clyde island, in Scotland, before taking the train to reach the place which will become their new home: the U.S. Army Air Force Station 159, in Wormingford, in southwestern England.

Once in England, Rarey tried to adapt to his new life, where he attended theoretical courses and ground training. He was even trained to survival techniques, in the event of his plane sinking into the sea. However, for the moment, the P-47s were nowhere to be seen and time was becoming long… He missed flying.

Finally, at the end of December, the 362^nd Fighter Group thirteen P-47s arrived, to the relief of all the pilots…

Rarey was going to be a dad


But time stopped for Rarey, who in mid-December, received a letter from Betty Lou, announcing that she was pregnant.

It seemed unreal for Rarey… This man whom his comrades nicknamed ‘Dad’, because for the war, 26 was old, was really going to become a father! 

The war thus took on a new meaning: fighting a fascism that his son would never have to experience!

War had begun for Rarey 


In January 1944, it was time for Rarey, who was now a Captain, to begin the missions…

The beginning of the missions, illustrated by George Rarey in the book 'Laughters and Tears', by Damon Rarey, p. 93

He and his men were principally assigned to escort missions, designed to protect bombardiers (B-17, B-24) until they reached their objective, neutralizing any potential obstacles in their path which could compromise the mission.

He also practiced dive bombing, which consists in directly diving on the targets, which gives the pilot a better precision to the trajectory of his bomb while having a constant visual on the target. It was also extremely risky...

After taking off England, Rarey then flew over France, Belgium, the Netherlands and/or Germany.


Damon was born

On March 22^nd, 1944, Betty Lou gave birth to Damon Rarey, much to Rarey’s delight.

The child’s birth brought a breath of fresh air to the camp, a kind of collective hope. Because yes, Damon was now the mascot of the 379^th Fighter Squadron! Rarey had renamed his plane "Damon’s Demon" and was already dreaming of a life together:

“There are so many things I look forward to – Damon and his friends, playing and working with him, teaching him things and learning things from him”.   Rarey

From April 15^th, 1944, Rarey and his men were transferred to Headcorn, in Kent County, above London in southeast England. This Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground would become their new base.

After that, a succession of escort and dive-bombing missions followed in France and Germany, before D-Day finally came.


The Allied Invasion had begun 


On June 6^th, 1944, George Rarey was in London, where he was to attend a representation of the International Ballet that night.

Here it was, what the world had been waiting for, was about to happen: D-Day had come…

George Rarey's drawing, 'Laughters and Tears', by Damon Rarey, p.169

In the two weeks following the invasion, eight pilots of the 362^nd Fighter Group lost their lives. George Rarey’s was to end a few days later…


The Captain died


On June 27^th, 1944, Rarey was assigned a Search and Destroy mission for enemy targets of choice in the center of France, with three other pilots.

As always, they took off from Headcorn airbase, and as they flew over the small village of Villers-Bocage, in Normandy, they spotted a German truck, carrying about forty German soldiers, and decided to make it their target.

Suddenly, they spotted 20mm anti-flak guns (probably a Flak 38 or Flak 30 given the size). Those anti-aircraft guns, used by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War, immediately targeted Rarey’s P-47, which exploded a few seconds later.

Captain George Rarey was dead… The 27-years-old man left behind a wife and a son, whom he never met…

Captain George Rarey is now buried at the Normandy American Cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, Plot F, Row 14, Headstone 25.

Captain George Rarey's headstone at the Normandy American Cemetery

In addition, symbolically, a monument has been erected in his honor, right in the middle of a sharp bend, in the village of Villers-Bocage.

Monument for Captain George Rarey in Villers-Bocage, Normandy.

As his mother wrote, Rarey “died with the glory of faith in his eyes and the glory of love in his heart”.


Rarey's last letter to Betty Lou


It has been reported by his fellow pilots that one week before his death, Rarey mentioned the fact he did not believe he would survive this war… When watching his ultimate drawings, we can see that the main subject was not himself and what he was living everyday anymore… It was about the others being the protagonists of a future world we would never be part of...

Nevertheless, his last letter to Betty Lou is full of hope, written by a gentleman who made projects for when this war would end. 

On June 26^th, 1944, he wrote: 

“ Dear Betty Lou – Just got a V-mail and an air mail from you. They were fine. That anniversary letter was mighty sweet. We are a lucky pair, darling. We’ll never be behind the door when the happiness is passed out. There wasn’t a great deal of activity today due to weather. We slept late and loafed around. We got some new pilots today and had a flap session with them. These new guys were in 43K – makes me feel like kind of an old joker. Betty Lou, would you enclose the Sunday episode of “Terry and the pirates” in one of your letters – we see the daily strip in the ‘Stars and Stripes’, but the Sundays, no soap – thanks. Old Terry finally made 2nd Lieutenant. Good show…. Lord, Betty Lou, it seems like an eternity since I’ve seen you – since last November in that fine little world of ours – I hated to leave it. I don’t care for this war – I want you and Damon and the life of our own choosing. I want to worry about the bills – ho! ho! – and mow the lawn and make kites and stuff for the demon and his friends. I want to see you and kiss you every day of my life – I want to beef about your silly hats and tell you how lovely you are. I’ve got all these things to do and time’s-a-wastin’ – I ain’t getting any younger, neither! So let’s get the war over – okay? ‘Until that happy day, you know darned well, I can’t give you anything but love letters, baby’. Silly, isn’t it? You just keep that old light in your eyes (and the one in the window) and we’ll be fat. Ah, I love you my sweet Betty Lou.”

Love, Rarey


His last letter, written to his wife, shatters...

Rarey died in the midst of a life he still had everything to discover and learn from, and for which he was making plans, as we can read…

Years later, Damon Rarey gathered his father’s drawings, and published a book, untitled Laughters and Tears, with the testimonies of the pilots of the 362^nd Fighter Group, and the letters he wrote to Betty Lou. 

This way, George Rarey’s work to pass on history is never forgotten!

George Rarey's Next of Kin at the Normandy American Cemetery

Last October, I had the great honor of meeting George Rarey’s niece, Jennifer, and guiding her to her uncle’s path. 

In the middle of a conversation, we got to talk about Damon Rarey's book, and a few weeks later, I received it at home.

I do not have the words to express my profound gratitude for this gesture.

Because this book has not stopped moving me since I turned the first page.

And while it is time for me to close this book, I will let you meditate on this story. 

The story of a young cartoonist, who left everything he loved most in the world behind, to become a P-47 pilot, and fight for freedom, the thing he believed in the most.

Captain George Rarey, and what he did, deserves never to be forgotten...

Source: Laughters and Tears, by Damon Rarey

Written by Lisa Marie, Normandy D-Day tour guide specialist at Normandy American Heroes