It is truly fine to be among the fans and supporters of this fine old chestnut. I am also in my fifties, and I knew a lot of WWII vets when I was a kid. My father rebuilt the big airfield at Foggia in Italy and the pastor of the church I went to was a nose gunner in B-24's. I've known 17, 24, and 29 pilots. To them the series was right on the money.I always liked Lansing's Savage better than Peck's, but none of you noticed that the first few episodes were written by the men who wrote the original novel. In most cases, that usually makes for high production values and attention to characterization. Lay and Bartlett had a good ear for the experience because they lived it.I have used "The Men and the Boys" and "Golden Boy Had Nine Black Sheep" as teaching tools in my European history and American history classes. The kids generally take to them, once they get past them being in black and white.When this comes out so I can put it alongside "Rawhide" on my shelves, I will truly be a happy man.Bob Potter Wilmington, Delaware

Robert Lansing was brilliant as Brigadier General Frank Savage. Lansing's superb performance elevated a fine war series to classic status.Executive producer Quinn Martin decided to fire Lansing because he was difficult to work with. Lansing never worked for Quinn Martin again. To Quinn Martin's credit, he told Lansing he was through before the first season was over, and to Lansing's credit his acting continued to be first rate.The official reason given at the time was that ABC wanted a younger actor, since the show was moving to an earlier time slot. But this was just a smoke screen. Quinn Martin wanted to replace Lansing with an actor as much like Lansing as possible-but one who was easier to work with. Martin basically hoped no one would notice the change. This was similar to what happened when Michael Moriarty left "Law and Order". Sam Waterson was as close as you could get to Michael Moriarty without hiring Moriarty.Paul Burke was about the same age as Lansing and he had a similar bearing. Like Lansing, Burke was a highly respected dramatic actor and had mature, matinée idol looks. Burke was fine as Colonel Joe Gallagher, but he just wasn't as fascinating to watch as Lansing had been.Quinn Martin might have been shrewder to hire someone totally unlike Lansing as the replacement, perhaps someone younger and more volatile. Maybe someone a little less pensive and less together. Someone who had to grow to fill Savage's shoes. Nick Adams ("The Rebel") might have been an interesting choice. Adams could have played the new Colonel a little like Steve McQueen in "The War Lover". Or maybe Robert Duvall could have given us a younger version of the great Santini. Or Peter Fonda, who had guest starred the first season, might have been appealing as a decent boy from the farm learning to be a leader of men. Or James Caan or Bruce Dern (also a first season guest star) as a brash young man being mellowed by the responsibilities of command.People die in war time, so Quinn Martin's decision to kill off Savage could have deepened the show and made it more realistic and exciting. If they killed off Savage, was anybody safe? But whoever tried to make us forget Robert Lansing had an unenviable task in front of them and maybe an impossible one.

The first season starring Robert Lansing as General Savage was, head-and-shoulders, the finest WWII TV series ever produced -- even better than Combat!, which ranks a close second. ABC cut the heart out of the series when Lansing was replaced and Savage was killed off. Nothing against Paul Burke, but he was not right for the role. Changing to color also hurt the series because all their stock footage was in black & white.I would snap up the first season on DVD in an instant. The "first season" would include episodes 1-33, including the final episode "The Loneliest Place in the World" in which Gen. Savage is killed (aired 9/13/1965). After that, no interest in later episodes.

I like military shows especially the ones with airplanes, so this program was just fine with me. I liked both Robert Lansing and Paul Burke but I liked Lansing better as he seemed more the kind of leader I would like to have. (I spend 4 years in the Air Force in the early 60's and Paul Burke's cousin was my roommate). I used to like the clashes between the commanders and TSGT Komansky. I wish this show would be brought back in reruns somewhere.