Clarendon author’s book focuses on WWII vet

George U. Hubbard of Clarendon and his daughter, Elizabeth A. Hubbard, have released their latest book based on the World War II experience and writings of John R. Hubbard.

Fight On! World War II and Cold War Experiences of Lt. Commander John R. “Jack” Hubbard, USNR is a first person account – wrapped with historical accuracy – of a naval aviator’s experiences during World War 2. Jack’s experiences both on the ground and in the air continued into the Cold War.

Almost a century in the making, John R. “Jack” Hubbard practiced what he preached when he penned the segments of his life’s story he considered most meaningful and most memorable. He told his students, colleagues, and anyone else who would listen that understanding what happened, why it happened, and to whom it happened was more important than rote memorization to be regurgitated then spewed forth on a standardized exam. As a history professor, Hubbard was deeply concerned at the amount of revisionist history increasingly being promulgated without any consideration of the relevant geopolitical, social, or economic issues leading up to the historical event in question. Therefore, he took pains to expound personalities, activities, and interpersonal relationships to help transport readers back in time so that they could “feel”, “sense”, “laugh”, and “cry” vicariously.

Fight On! has been written in such a way that anyone can understand the evolution of naval aviation during the second world war. Jack takes you through the nuts and bolts of training through deployment to each duty station. Jack has you secretly watching the delivery of The Bomb climaxing with his assignment to fly support of the Enola Gay on her historic mission. Throughout the book, Jack describes his life away from home as well as those with whom he served and met along the way.

But life didn’t end with the surrender of the Japanese. Like most of his fellow service members, Jack had to once again make his own life-changing decisions. Would he make a career in the Navy or would he return to civilian life in academia? His decision led him into the fringes of Cold War international intrigue, espionage, and general mischief. Some have dubbed Jack as the Forrest Gump of that era.

A native Texan who received his public education in Denton, Texas, then earned all of his degrees at The University of Texas, Jack Hubbard taught British History at the University of Texas, Louisiana State University, and Yale University before adding university administration to his teaching responsibilities at Sophie Newcomb College (Tulane). He left Sophie Newcomb when he accepted a position with the State Department to serve as USAID’s chief educational advisor in India. Hubbard ended his academic career at the University of Southern California (USC) where he served as the university’s eighth president during the turbulent decade of the 70s, and where he also taught British History until shortly before his death in 2011. An avid sports enthusiast, Hubbard is well known as the colorful president of USC who cost the Trojans 15 yards during the 1978 USC vs U-Hawaii football game for un-sportsman-like conduct. He served as U.S. Ambassador to India at the end of President Ronald Reagan’s term of office.

Amazon ranked Fight On! World War II and Cold War Experiences of Lt. Commander John R. “Jack” Hubbard, USNR as its # 1 New Release* in Aviation History, 1950s History of the U.S., History of India, and Historiography. The book is available in both print and e-book formats. Both print and e-books can be purchased from Amazon, other online stores, and from ehubbard@punaluudata.com. For more information about the book or the lesson plans that have been created for middle and high school teachers, contact Elizabeth Hubbard at ehubbard@punaluudata.com or via text at 940-297-9347.

George Underwood Hubbard lives in Clarendon, Texas, and spent his life as an educator in the fields of computer science and mathematics. After completing his tour of duty in the United States Army during the Korean War, George taught junior high school mathematics briefly before being recruited by corporate America at the dawn of the computer age. IBM lured him away from Lockheed, but after 32 years teaching and training both IBM employees and clients, he retired to focus on his true passions – historical writing and academia. He retired from Texas Woman’s University where he taught statistics.

George holds a PhD from the University of North Texas, and MS – Statistics from Stanford University, and an MS and BS from The University of Texas. He is the author of numerous magazine and journal articles and the following books: Computer-Assisted Data Base Design; IMS (DL/1) Data Base Organization and Performance; The Humor and Drama of Early Texas; Which End of A Buffalo Gets Up First?; The Last Man to Die by Creek Law; Images of America Krum; and When the Saints Came Marching In.