M
y father's pride in his service as a pilot in the Army Air Corps helped to shape my own decision to serve, and though we served our country during very different times it forged a lasting bond between us like those that Michael Takiff so poignantly illustrates in this book. Generations were linked by service and those values were passed down from father to son to a new generation. Michael captures the memories of combat and the lessons of war that stick with all of us over a lifetime when we think about the meaning of what those who served gave us and particularly what they gave our country.