Fighter Pilot: A Memoir of the Pacific War

by Francis James Rodgers

Captain Francis “Frank” Rodgers is a U.S. Army Air Forces pilot who serves in the Pacific theater during World War II. At eighteen years old, Frank decides to join the military after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. He dreams of flying the fearsome P-40 Warhawk, and, after much rigorous training, he earns his pilot’s wings. Over the course of the war, which takes him from Hawaii to Iwo Jima, he flies various fighter aircraft, notably the P-38, P-39, P-40, and P-51. Frank sees combat in several regions, including a mission over Makin Atoll where he is shot down and nearly lost in the vast waters of the Pacific. His wartime journey ends on Iwo Jima, when he is wounded by a grenade during a surprise nighttime counterattack by Japanese infantry. Told in his own words, Fighter Pilot is the inspiring journey of a young man who stands tall in times of peril, works hard, and achieves his dreams. Along the way, he discovers beauty and wonder at every step.

174 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2020