Lightning Sky: A U.S Fighter Pilot Captured During WW2 and His Father's Quest to Find Him

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

A U.S. fighter pilot captured by the enemy. A father determined to rescue his son. One of the most remarkable and moving true stories of faith and perseverance to come out of World War II. October 6, 1944. Twenty-year-old Army Air Corps second Lieutenant Colonel David "Mac" Warren MacArthur was on a strafing mission over Greece when a round of 88-mm German anti-aircraft shells turned his P-38 into a comet of fire and smoke. Mac parachuted to safety as the Lightning lived up to her name and struck the Adriatic Sea like a bolt of flames. In minutes, he was plucked from the water-only to find himself on the wrong end of a German rifle pointing straight at his head. Mac's father, Lt. Col. Vaughn MacArthur, was a chaplain with the 8th Armored Division of Patton's Army when he learned of his son's capture. He made it his personal mission to find him. For the duration of the war, as Mac was shuttled from camp to camp-including Dachau-his father never stopped searching. Then in May, 1945, Vaughn's last hope was Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany. Through the barbed wire fence, he cried out his son's name. Incredibly, out of tens of thousands of POWs, one of them, squinting into the sunlight, turned and smiled. Father and son spent the next week together celebrating, a forever cherished memory. Over the next twenty-five years, Mac would go on to honor his father on rescue missions of his own, becoming a highly decorated and genuine American war hero. In both Korea and Vietnam, Mac would carry with him the legacy of a great man who gave everything to save his son. An inspiring, harrowing, and unforgettable chronicle of love of family and love of country, Lightning Sky is a timeless testament to extraordinary lives in extraordinary times.

Reviews

Praise for R.C. Georges Lightning Sky

A glowing reminder that some things in life are worth fighting for.
Marcus Brotherton, New York Times bestselling author of We Who Are Alive & Remain, A Company of Heroes and Shiftys War

This is how history should be writtenin vivid detail and with all the emotion of the best-told stories. Fans of Flyboys and Unbroken should push this book to the top of their reading list.
John Gilstrap, New York Times bestselling author of Scorpion Strike and the Jonathan Grave thriller series

A suspenseful masterpiecea heart-tugging page-turner every bit as captivating as Laura HillenbrandsUnbrokenand Erik LarsonsDead Wake.
Denise George, bestselling author ofThe Secret Holocaust Diaries, Behind Nazi LinesandOrchestra of Exiles

Impossible to put down. Gifted author R. C. George has created a page-turning narrative peppered with meticulously-researched, elevating historical insights that demonstrate true command of the subject matter. Bravo!
Robert Child, Emmy-nominated screenwriter, director, and author of The Lost Eleven

You will be inspired . . . you will mourn a greatness that has all but passed. In four or five years they will all be gone; the words of soldiers like this one, our only hope of holding onto them.
Ken Gire, New York Times bestselling collaborator for All the Gallant Men

The research is meticulous and the tale is well written, almost like a novel. It is optimistic and realistic, both funny and sad. A wonderful retelling of an individual story of World War II that combines the universal bond between parent and child and a war story. VERDICT: Highly recommended for any listener interested in war, family, or just a good story.
Library Journal on the audio edition

Author Bio

Rebecca George lives in Kansas City where she chronicles untold stories of heroism, resilience, and triumph. Her first book, Wurmbrand, highlights the true story of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand who were imprisoned in Communist Romania. Her forthcoming book spotlights Petr Jasek, a Czech national who was jailed with members of ISIS in Sudan. For more information on Rebecca and her writing, visit her online at www.RebeccaGeorgeBooks.com.