Beirne Lay Jr., (September 1, 1909 – May 26, 1982) was an American writer,

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...

writer, Hollywood screenwriter, and combat

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

with the U.S. Army Air Forces. He is best known for his collaboration with

Sy Bartlett Sidney "Sy" Bartlett (born Sacha Baraniev; July 10, 1900 – May 29, 1978) was a Ukrainian American author and screenwriter/producer of Hollywood films. Early life Sy Bartlett was born on July 10, 1900 in the Black Sea seaport of Mykolaiv in th ...

in authoring the novel ''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'' and adapting it into a major film.

Early life

Born September 1, 1909, in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, Lay attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in English in 1931. As an undergraduate, he boxed and rowed.

Early military career

Lay enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

in July 1932, and began pilot training at

Randolph Field Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Un ...

, Texas. In June 1933, he earned his pilot's wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the

Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...

at Kelly Field, Texas. He was assigned to the

20th Bombardment Squadron 020 is the national dialling code for London in the United Kingdom. All subscriber numbers within the area code consist of eight digits and it has capacity for approaching 100 million telephone numbers. The code is used at 170 telephone exch ...

Langley Field Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfo ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, flying the

Keystone B-6 The Keystone B-6 was a biplane bomber developed by the Keystone Aircraft company for the United States Army Air Corps. Design and development In 1931, the United States Army Air Corps received five working models (Y1B-6s) of the B-6 bomber. The ...

and

Curtiss B-2 Condor The Curtiss B-2 Condor was a 1920s United States bomber aircraft. It was a descendant of the Martin NBS-1, which was built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the Glenn L. Martin Company. There were a few differences, such as stron ...

bombers. In February and March 1934, he was part of the Army Air Corps unit delivering U.S.

mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...

during the

Air Mail scandal The Air Mail scandal, also known as the Air Mail fiasco, is the name that the American press gave to the political scandal resulting from a 1934 congressional investigation of the awarding of contracts to certain airlines to carry airmail and ...

, flying the

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

-to- Nashville route. The operation was unsuccessful, marred by several fatal accidents in which the Air Corps took the brunt of public blame. Upset by what he viewed as the injustice of the criticism, Lay began his writing career while still on active duty by submitting rebuttal articles and pieces on aviation in general, published in ''The Sportsman Pilot'', '' Esquire'', ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

'', ''Today'', and '' Harper's''. In November 1935, he left active duty, but remained a reserve officer, promoted to first lieutenant on August 16, 1936.

Return to civilian life

Lay went to work for ''The Sportsman Pilot'' and became its

managing editor A managing editor (ME) is a senior member of a publication's management team. Typically, the managing editor reports directly to the editor-in-chief and oversees all aspects of the publication. United States In the United States, a managing edit ...

. In 1936, he began writing an

autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

book about his experiences in pilot training titled ''

I Wanted Wings ''I Wanted Wings'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Mitchell Leisen and based on a book by Lieutenant Beirne Lay Jr. The film stars Ray Milland and William Holden. The supporting cast includes Wayne Morris, Brian Donlevy, Constance Mo ...

'', published by

Harper Brothers Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...

in 1937. He was approached by Hollywood producer Arthur Hornblow Jr. to sell the

film rights A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

to Paramount Pictures and to write the screenplay for a film adaptation. Lay agreed, and worked three years on the project, but the final product was largely the result of rewrites by a team of screenwriters brought into the project. During this time, he met and married Philippa Ludwell Lee, and made the acquaintance of Captain Frank A. Armstrong at

Barksdale Field Barksdale may refer to: Places * Barksdale, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Barksdale, Texas, an unincorporated community * Barksdale, Wisconsin, a town ** Barksdale (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community *Barksdale Air Forc ...

, Louisiana, where Armstrong commanded the 13th Bomb Squadron.

World War II service

Lay returned to active duty at his own request just after the outbreak of

in 1939, as a flying instructor in

Chino, California Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chi ...

. The publication of ''I Wanted Wings'' brought Lay to the attention of the staff of Army Air Forces Col.

Ira Eaker General (Honorary) Ira Clarence Eaker (April 13, 1896 – August 6, 1987) was a general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Eaker, as second-in-command of the prospective Eighth Air Force, was sent to England to form and ...

, chief of the Air Corps Information Division and himself a writer. After meeting Lt. Lay, Eaker arranged his transfer to Headquarters USAAC in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

, in early 1940. There, promoted to captain, he worked primarily as a speechwriter for General

Henry H. Arnold Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...

, Chief of the Army Air Corps. In January 1942 Eaker was made brigadier general and was deployed to England to create what would become the Eighth Air Force. Lay was made part of Eaker's staff cadre, as Eighth Air Force

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

and film unit commander. In the first half of 1943, he commanded Hollywood director William Wyler (then a major) while Wyler and his team were in England making the promotional movie ''Memphis Belle''. Lay was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and in August 1943, he was granted permission to obtain combat experience in preparation for possible command of a combat unit. During that month, he flew five missions with the 100th Bomb Group, a B-17 Flying Fortress unit stationed at

RAF Thorpe Abbotts Royal Air Force Thorpe Abbotts or more simply RAF Thorpe Abbotts is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Diss, Norfolk, England. History RAF Thorpe Abbotts was built during 1942 and early 1943 for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a ...

, including the Regensburg portion of the costly Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, which he flew as a co-pilot. Lay wrote a detailed critique of the mission for Brig. Gen.

Curtis LeMay Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was an American Air Force general who implemented a controversial strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. He later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air ...

, and used much of the content in an article entitled "I Saw Regensburg Destroyed", which appeared in the November 6, 1943, issue of ''The Saturday Evening Post.'' The same material also became a chapter in ''Twelve O'Clock High''. Lay was then returned to the United States, where he was assigned to a B-24 Liberator unit undergoing group training at

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, the 490th Bombardment Group. On February 28, 1944, he was given command of the 487th Bombardment Group at Alamogordo, New Mexico, which he took overseas to

Lavenham Lavenham is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is noted for its Guildhall, Little Hall, 15th-century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walks. In the mediev ...

, England, in April. On May 11, 1944, Lt.Col. Lay led his group to Troyes, France, on its fourth combat mission. His group encountered heavy flak near Châteaudun, the location of a

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

fighter airfield, and both Lay's B-24 and that of his deputy commander were shot down. Lay parachuted from his aircraft near Coulonges-les-Sablons and was hidden by members of the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. As news of the Allied approach following D-Day reached Lay, he decided to attempt to join up with the Allied advance units. Lay did this without being shot by his own side and returned successfully to England in August. Lay was prohibited from further combat because of his knowledge of underground activities. From this experience, he authored a second book, published by Harper Brothers in 1945, ''I've Had It: The Survival of a Bomb Group Commander'', which was reissued in 1980 by

Dodd, Mead and Company Dodd, Mead and Company was one of the pioneer publishing houses of the United States, based in New York City. Under several names, the firm operated from 1839 until 1990. History Origins In 1839, Moses Woodruff Dodd (1813–1899) and John S. Ta ...

under a new title, ''Presumed Dead''. Lay also wrote an episode for the television series ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American so ...

'' entitled: "The Milk Run", which appeared to be loosely based on his own experiences.

Second return to civilian life

Lay returned to Hollywood after the war. He was working there in 1946 when he was approached by

, another Eighth Air Force veteran, to collaborate on the novel-screenplay project which became ''Twelve O'Clock High'', published in 1948 and released in 1949, respectively. Lay continued as a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in the Air Force Reserve and with fellow reservist James Stewart approached Paramount with a concept for the film '' Strategic Air Command''. Lay continued as a screenwriter for movies and television during the 1960s, while in the employ of Networks Electronics Corporation in Chatsworth, California, as vice president. In the mid 1960s, he was joined by Gale Cleven, who joined the company as senior vice president, and a year later by General LeMay. He retired in

Westwood, Los Angeles, California Westwood is a commercial and residential neighborhood in the northern central portion of the Westside region of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Bordering the campus on the south ...

, where he died on May 26, 1982, of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

Published works

Screenwriting credits

*''

'' (1941) screenwriter *''

'' (1949) screenwriter *''

Flying Leathernecks ''Flying Leathernecks'' is a 1951 American Technicolor action war film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger, (who had produced ''Sands of Iwo Jima'') and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits an ...

'' (1951) screenwriter (uncredited) *'' Above and Beyond'' (1952) screenwriter *'' Strategic Air Command'' (1955) screenwriter *''

Toward the Unknown ''Toward the Unknown'', originally called ''Flight Test Center'' and titled ''Brink of Hell'' in its UK release, is a 1956 American war film about the dawn of supersonic flight filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base. Starring William Holden ...

'' (1956) screenwriter, associate producer *''

The Silent Service is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi. It was published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Morning'' manga magazine from 1988 to 1996 and collected in 32 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series was adapted into an anime tele ...

'' (1957) (TV series, episodes "Tirante Plays a Hunch" and "Two Davids and Goliath") screenwriter *'' Men into Space'' (1959) (TV series) screenwriter *'' The Gallant Hours'' (1960) screenwriter *'' The Young and The Brave'' (1963) screenwriter, actor *''

The Lieutenant ''The Lieutenant'' is an American television series, the first created by Gene Roddenberry. It aired on NBC on Saturday evenings in the 1963–1964 television schedule. It was produced by Arena Productions, one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most ...

'' (1963-1964) (TV series) two episodes *''

'' (1964) (TV series, episode) screenwriter

Books

*''I Wanted Wings'' (1937) *''I've Had It - The Survival of a Bomb Group Commander'' (1945) *''Twelve O'Clock High'' (with Sy Bartlett)(1948) *''Someone Has to Make it Happen - The Inside Story of Tex Thornton, The Man Who Built Litton Industries'' (1969) *''Earthbound Astronauts - The Builders of Apollo-Saturn'' (1971)

Articles

*"Aerobatics, Thirty Minutes" (''Harper's Magazine'', February 1936) *"Bomber Number 148" (''Harper's Magazine'', March 1936) *"Flyers Are Inarticulate" (''Harper's Magazine'', March 1937) *"What it Takes to Bomb Germany" (''Harper's Magazine'', November 1943) *"The Jet That Crashed Before Take-off" (''Harper's Magazine'', September 1957)

References

*Coffey, Thomas M., ''Decision Over Schweinfurt'' (1977). *Farmer, James H., "Hollywood's Bomber Baron", ''Flight Journal'', December 1999, Air Age Publishing. *Duffin, Alan T., and Matheis, Paul. ''The 12 O'Clock High Logbook'' (2005), (pp. 7–14). *Freeman, Roger A., ''The Mighty Eighth'' (1993 edition), (pp. 4, 68, 141, 260). *Freeman, Roger A., ''The Mighty Eighth War Diary'' (1990), (pp. 91–95). *Simons, Graham M and Friedman, Dr Harry, Memphis Belle - Dispelling the Myths (pp 254/5) GMS Enterprises . *Wilder, Elizabeth, family member

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lay, Beirne Jr. 1909 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American novelists American autobiographers 20th-century American memoirists American male novelists Military personnel from West Virginia American military writers American male screenwriters Aviators from West Virginia People from Bath (Berkeley Springs), West Virginia St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) alumni United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Novelists from West Virginia Yale University alumni 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers 20th-century American screenwriters