Examination of the major World War II battle. B/W illus.

On November 18, 1965, U.S. Navy pilot Willie Sharp ejected from his F-8 fighter after being hit while positioned over a target in North Vietnam. With a cloud layer beneath him, he did not know if he was over land--where he would most certainly be captured or killed by the North Vietnamese--or over the Gulf of Tonkin. As he ejected, both navy and air force aircraft were already heading toward him to help. What followed was a dramatic rescue made by pilots and other airmen with little or no training or experience in combat search-and-rescue. Told by former military flight test engineer Eileen A. Bjorkman, this story includes nail-biting descriptions of air combat, flight, and rescue. Bjorkman places Sharp's story in the larger context of the U.S. military's bedrock credo--No Man Left Behind--and calls attention to the more than eighty thousand Americans still missing from conflicts since World War I. She also explores the devastating aftershocks of the Vietnam War as Sharp struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. Woven into this gripping tale is the fascinating history of combat search-and-rescue missions that officially began in World War II. Combining the cockiness and camaraderie of Top Gun with the heroics of Sully, Unforgotten in the Gulf of Tonkin is a riveting tale of combat rescue and an unforgettable story about the U.S. military's commitment to leave no man behind.

World War II did not end in 1945 at least not for the Dwyer family of Hastings, Nebraska Nayeli Urquiza and Dardis McNamee, The Vienna Review For decades, Kay Hughes was unaware of her family s unresolved mystery. After her grandparents, Harold W. and Ellen Dwyer, received a telegram stating that their son 2nd Lt. Stanley Dwyer had become MIA over Austria on May 10, 1944, they began a relentless search. Left with only unanswered, nagging questions, they endured a lifelong private grief. Years later, one question would rekindle the search which, in turn, led Kay and her father, Harold E. Dwyer, Stanley s brother, on an intriguing journey across two continents and generations. In their quest to understand Stanley s fate, Kay and Harold developed friendships, visited with eyewitnesses, stood on hallowed ground, and observed the dedicated work of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. In her poignant narrative, Kay details how clues salvaged in the charred rubble of a fi re revealed the essence of Stanley almost forgotten World War II hero. Searching for Stanley is a timeless, real-life tale that illustrates one family s dedication to finding their beloved Stanley who, like thousands of other American patriots, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. UNTIL THEY ARE HOME

Unforgotten Hero tells the captivating life story of Second Lieutenant Jimmy L. Escalle, a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who became missing in action during the Korean War. Growing up in a small farming town in California’s San Joaquin Valley during the 1930s and 1940s, Jim was a devoted son, a caring older brother, a talented athlete, and a young man of moral character who always put others first. He started high school as the Second World War was at its peak, and graduated during a time of transition within America and around the world. He had always wanted to fly airplanes someday, and with the introduction of jet propulsion during his high school years, he dreamed of becoming a jet pilot. Called to serve his country after the Korean War began, his dream became a reality when he joined the Air Force and eventually got the opportunity to fly the F-86 Sabre, regarded as the most advanced jet fighter of its time. Soon after arriving in Korea he went on his first missions, which were MiG Alley sweeps. However, since Jim was assigned to a fighter-bomber squadron, the majority of his combat missions were air-to-ground. These were the most dangerous missions. In Korea, more pilots had been killed or listed as MIA due to being shot down by ground fire rather than enemy aircraft. For Jim, this fact was realized only five weeks before the armistice was signed. He paid the ultimate price for freedom when he disappeared while on a combat mission over North Korea and was never seen or heard from again.