The Optimism of Jefferson DeBlanc

When fighter pilot Jefferson DeBlanc survived being shot at in a crazy dogfight over the Solomon Islands in World War Two, his adventure was only beginning. What happened after he parachuted out of his burning plane is a story of grit, blind optimism, and against-all-odds survival.

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Episode bibliography:

DeBlanc, Jefferson. The Guadalcanal Air War: Col. Jefferson DeBlanc's Story. Pelican Publishing, April 15, 2008. https://www.amazon.com/Guadalcanal-Air-War-Jefferson-DeBlancs/dp/1589805879 

Torres, Rivers. “Jefferson DeBlanc and the Air Battle for Guadalcanal.” The National WWII Museum, July 10, 2024. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/jefferson-deblanc-and-air-battle-guadalcanal 

Lord, Walter. “Ordeal At Vella Lavella.” American Heritage, June 1997. https://www.americanheritage.com/ordeal-vella-lavella

Kwai, Anna Annie. Solomon Islanders in World War II: An Indigenous Perspective. Australian National University Press, 2017. https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/481b8b20-5e35-4b66-bc3e-f8489e0745dc/643776.pdf

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