Seventeen to B-17

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." ― G.K. Chesterton This is the story of not one, but two young people who live out the two most important years of their lives in the midst of WWII. A young man goes from being a high school senior who has never been in an airplane to piloting the "Flying Fortress" B-17. As part of the "Mighty Eighth", he completes forty missions, dropping over 2000 bombs on enemy targets. He did not want to be a part of this war, but he endured, obeyed and gave his best to his duty. Meanwhile, his teenage wife was contributing to the war effort at home while caring for their first child. They remained connected only by letters. These letters were treasured by the young wife and are the underlying foundation of this story. This is a book of historical fiction, however, the timeline is accurate, and most of the events and characters are real.