The bomber who became a historian of the oppressed
As a young WWII bombardier, Howard Zinn dropped napalm on French towns. Years later, his research revealed the devastating civilian cost of those very missions. This transformation from combatant to radical historian redefined how millions of Americans understand the struggle for justice.
Howard Zinn’s political evolution was forged in the tension between military duty and historical truth. During World War II, serving as an officer in the US Army Air Corps, Zinn participated in bombing raids over Europe. In April 1945, he dropped napalm on the French seaside resort of Royan. While official military records often minimized the impact of such raids, Zinn’s later research uncovered a more harrowing reality: the attack killed over a thousand French civilians, an event he described as a tragic error that leveled an ancient city.
His investigations extended to the bombing of Plzeň, Czechoslovakia. While official US Army Air Forces histories claimed that a timely warning allowed workers at the Škoda Works to escape with only five fatalities, Zinn’s own experience as a deputy lead bombardier told a different story. He recalled dropping bombs without precision on the city, and interviews with Czech citizens suggested the death toll was actually several hundred. These discrepancies fueled his lifelong skepticism of official narratives and his critique of 'deceptive and deadly language' like 'collateral damage.'
This commitment to the 'underdog' defined his academic career. After teaching at Spelman College—where he was eventually dismissed for radicalizing students—Zinn moved to Boston University. There, he became a prominent voice in the civil rights and anti-war movements. His 1980 masterpiece, *A People's History of the United States*, challenged traditional textbooks by centering the perspectives of Native Americans, enslaved people, unionists, and women. Through his work, Zinn sought to transform history from a record of triumphs into a tool for social change.
Source: Howard Zinn
