It was an honor to have been a beneficairy of the democracy this man fought for. His perseverance in times we could only imagine through such excellent writing is inspiration for us all. To try to feel one fraction of his emotion is our challenge we probably could not accomplish. His spirit and disipline are unparelleld.

Colonel Smith's story begins with an unbelievable turn of events that if they weren't true, you would think they were scripted fiction. If anything could go wrong on his fateful day it did. As he takes you through the result of those misfortunes, his attention to detail puts you looking over his shoulder and wanting to lean in to help him. The feelings, pride and emotions he exhibited were enough to keep the pages turning and make you want to read faster and faster. As the events of his debacle unfold you'll find yourself wishing this wasn't history-that it was happening now and you could do something about it early on before it became his nightmare. The writing style is complete and solid without becoming too technical. It has interesting insight into the pilot and soldiers roles and duty without losing sight that it is a story of courage, faith, family and most of all hope. This is the perfect story to make us all take a step back to help us forget the little things that may be a nuisance and appreciate the big things that are taken away from some. It will make you look at all who protected us and our freedoms gratefully.