Keith Horn, a Greece resident, is the son of the late 1st Lieutenant Ladd L. Horn of Orchard Park. Keith knew of his dad’s military service in World War II as a B-26 pilot. Still, it was never discussed in great length, partly due to the busyness of life and his mom, Ethel’s reticence that these types of things should not be discussed. “My Dad would occasionally share some of his WWII shenanigans with us, but the tough stories were held back for more than 75 years,” Keith said.
Keith moved to Greece in 2012 to be closer to his grandchildren. Shortly after that, Keith began spending several days a week in the Buffalo area, helping his parents, who were both in their nineties. In 2014, between driving them to medical appointments, cooking, and cleaning, Keith began asking his dad questions about his WWII experiences. “The Lord gave me a gift to have this time with my parents. I wanted to capture these memories and put them on paper so that his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and future generations would know who he was.”
With very few WWII veterans still alive, Ladd Horn was eager to share his stories. “I spent two years with my father, listening to his experiences in the war. It seemed as if he felt the need to tell the stories, even the difficult ones.” Ladd’s memory was sharp, even at 95, as he recalled flight speeds, crew members, locations, and events.
As the stories unfolded from father to son, they began to go through meticulously preserved photos from the WWII military enlistment. Ladd learned how to develop his own film in high school. He took pictures during his tour of duty and developed the film in improvised dark rooms built on the side of tents out in the field where he was stationed. Ladd would then send the negatives and prints back home to his family and his love, Ethel. The album was rich in photos from his firsthand experiences and encounters being part of the 95th Bombardment Squadron of the 17th Bombardment Group.
The storytelling went on for almost two years. “Dad complained we weren’t moving fast enough, and he was right,” Keith said. Lt. Ladd Horn passed away on October 16, 2016, and the journey through his WWII memories was unfinished. The storytelling, recollections, and remembrances from this World War II veteran in his nineties had ended.
Keith’s mom passed away in 2018. After losing both beloved parents, Keith and his family were taking care of the estate when he found an incredible collection of military memorabilia from his dad’s service, including pictures, documentation, flight records, and deployments. One thing he never expected to find was a box of letters that the young bomber pilot had sent to his true love, Ethel. Ladd had written a letter nearly every day of his deployment. “I never knew these letters existed,” Keith said.
Keith then began the journey through his dad’s written words, learning of his experiences as a young man in his twenties. The daily letters to his future bride described his locations, details of events, and the war as he was experiencing it. “In his words, he shared his losses, celebrations, and even a marriage proposal. This was such a unique perspective to have after spending years getting the perspective from him as a man in his nineties,” Keith said.
Keith combed through the letters, reading his father’s words to his mother long before he and his sister were even a thought. He began piecing together the letters, pictures, and details of his tours during the war through both lenses – the eyes of a 94-year-old WWII veteran and the eyes of a young man who enlisted during wartime and was deployed to fight in this historic war.
“I began to realize that these stories are so much different than most WWII books due to how personal it was and how it spanned the experiences of the lifetime of a B26 Bomber pilot. Having these two distinct views spanning more than 70 years and match precisely was incredibly rare and unique,” Keith said.
After thousands of hours spent journeying through his dad’s war experiences, the idea of publishing a book began to form. What was initially recorded for Ladd Horn’s children, grandchildren, and future generations was being recognized as a blessing to many.
Nearly a decade later, this idea brought Keith Horn to the publishing field for the first time. He wrote the book, “Let the Kicking Mule Kick: Personal Stories from a WWII B-26 Bomber Pilot to His Family,” which was published in March of 2023. The title is based on the insignia of the 95th Bombardment Squadron to which Lt. Ladd Horn was assigned. The book is written in two parts. “Part I: The War As I Heard It” features war stories told by a father to his son in his last chapter of life. “Part II: The War Through The Lens of Love” includes excerpts of letters written by a young man in his early twenties, capturing historic events and sharing them with his future bride. The book is rich, with more than 300 photographs taken during the war.
According to Keith, the book is great for all ages. A person does not need to know history to read and enjoy it. It can be a resource for homeschool families, useful to capture the attention of junior and senior high school students studying history, or for anyone interested in this historic era. “It is a great opportunity to let young people know about a young man who was responsible for a crew, flying across the globe, no instruments, no radar, no heat in a 34,000-pound aluminum can, with several tons of bombs attached,” he said.
The book is a roller coaster of the stories of a man’s survival through a war where he had regular contact with death. Keith said, “Part of my dad’s strength lies in the fact that he had given his life to Jesus at an early age. He trusted Jesus with his life, and you will hear him talk with Jesus in the face of death, so sit back and enjoy the ride with your guide, 1st Lieutenant Ladd L. Horn, a B-26 Marauder pilot.” He added, “My Dad would want readers to know the man he was, the depth of what he went through, and just how deep his faith was, which kept him from being broken and able to tell these stories.”
“Let the Kicking Mule Kicks” is available from the publisher, Book Baby, online at Amazon, and locally at Lift Bridge Book Store in Brockport. “My grandkids got the first copy,” Keith chuckled.
