The "POETRY OF THE PEOPLE" Series features an 82-year old World War 2 veteran U.S. Navy dive-bomber pilot KELLY ALCALA reading his favorite poem "HIGH FLIGHT" written by JOHN G. MCGEE another American flyer who volunteered with the Royal Air Force during the early days of the war.  Kelly. then 18 years old, served with a dive-bomber squadron which saw action in the Pacific, including the famous Battle of Midway where his unit was credited with sinking some 4 Japanese aircraft carriers - a decisive victory!  The young pilot Kelly Alcala was later seriously wounded while aboard a ship which was attacked by Japanese Kamikaze planes but was lucky enough to survive the war.  Kelly and his wife Louise currently reside in Sta. Ana, California where he was also born.  
I met Kelly and his wife at the Orange Senior Center in Orange, California.  where the couple frequently go for lunch during the week.  The recording was done without benefit of rehearsals and completed in just one take at one of the center's vacant rooms, sometime after lunch.  Kelly and his wife are a nice and friendly couple who always have a ready smile and a good sense of humor.  While Kelly says he does not tinker with computers, his wife Louise, a retired nurse, serves as the computer operator who enables both to have internet access.  Obviously, Kelly loves poetry and did not hesitate to respond to my invitation to do readings of his favorite poems.

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