On Day 9 of the Battle of the Bulge, flying his P-47 fighter plane, 2nd Lt. Donald N Evans was shot down behind enemy lines and reported missing. After bailing out seconds before his plane crashed, Don limped and crawled through deep snow, trying to find a way back to the American front lines. Lost, cold, and hungry, he spent Christmas Eve huddled under a pine tree in the Ardennes Forest, wondering if he'd ever see his family again. Ahead of him lay capture by German SS Troops, a 200-mile forced march in frigid winter weather, near starvation, abuse by guards, and internment in a German POW camp. His will to overcome near insurmountable odds is inspiring. That he actually did so is a miracle.
From dirt-poor, small-town roots, Don was the quintessential all-American boy, becoming student body president of his high school and earning all-state honors in football, basketball, and tennis. At age eighteen, he was attending college, had fallen in love, and appeared destined for a bright future. Then fate stepped in. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and America entered World War II. Don joined 16 million other young Americans and entered the U.S. military. Before shipping overseas, he married his high school sweetheart, Laura Jeanne. On July 16, 1944, he boarded the Queen Elizabeth with 15,000 other soldiers, sailing past the Statue of Liberty and out to sea.
Excerpts from Don and Laura Jeanne's deeply personal letters allow readers to glimpse emotional events through the eyes of a young couple who lived through these remarkable times. Don and four other flyboys in the 368th Fighter Group of the Ninth Air Force became so close they called themselves The Five. The author weaves their stories together from letters, journals, personal histories, mission reports, and interviews, creating an unforgettable story of love, friendships, courage, and survival, with the Great Depression and World War II as a backdrop.
