presents a firsthand account of 30 bombing missions during WWII. From the pilot's log of 1st Lieutenant Louis LaHood, this is the day-by-day memoir of his Army Air Forces service as he led his nine-man crew over various targets throughout occupied Europe in 1944. LaHood vividly captures the dangers, near misses, and tragedies he encountered as a pilot, taking off from England in the foggy gloom of early morning, and completing his deadly assignments one-by-one. The book begins with the fortuitous chance to transfer from the walking Army to the Army Air Forces. It recounts each phase of his training: primary, basic, advanced, and transition. The training concludes with LaHood's selection of a crew, molding them into a cohesive unit, and finally transporting them in a new B-17 to England to face the realities of war. This is the story of a boy becoming a man, leading others through war, and how a brush with failure helped him tap into a dormant faith, which became the foundation of his leadership.