Beirne Lay Jr.

Birth Name:

Beirne Lay

Birth Place:

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, United States

Profession

Writer, Actor, Producer

Reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force
Graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1931 after spending his undergraduate years studying, boxing and rowing
Was shot down twice during World War II, and each time he managed to evade capture by Nazis and return to safety
His screenplays captured what it was like to be an American pilot in Europe, and since he had first-hand experience overseas, they were more accurate than many other Hollywood depictions
His best known work, which he wrote first as a novel and then adapted for the screen, is "Twelve O'clock High," a war story based on his own experiences with the 100th BG
His published books include "I Wanted Wings" and "I've Had It-The Survival of a Bomb Group Commander․"
Published a number of articles about aviation in "The Sportsman Pilot," "Esquire," "The Saturday Evening Post," "Today" and "Harpers․"

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