Robert Paul Russell – Bob – was a distinguished man. The Florida Fly Boy, a builder of four thousand homes, a heroic Hell Hawk. Bob lived a vibrant life, which came to an end on January 20th, 2026. It is no exaggeration to say that most of the town of Dunedin, Florida, came out for a drive-by birthday celebration just three days earlier. Okay, to be sure, a lot of people stopped and the yard was full. If you knew him and the community, you would understand why. It turned out to be his last time holding court.
Bob was an icon and a hero, the last World War II veteran in the area. There is a lot of fanfare associated with being a Hell Hawk. It’s not clear that there are any Hell Hawks still surviving. In any case, this one flew on, and will be remembered. This book, the Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler’s Wehrmacht tells the full heroic Hell Hawk story.
To appreciate Bob Russell, you have to look at the total man, how he lived his life as one of the Greatest Generation. He is worthy of a short memoire, which is coming together. It will highlight his interesting life, which could only be American, including his WWII Hell Hawk experience.
So, more to come, to celebrate a great middle-class hero from the Greatest Generation – Bob Russell.
