Flying Aces #2

A downed American pilot named Sal Trapani is captured by a German soldier who, as it turns out, was himself a fighter pilot in the First World War—and he recognizes Trapani as the son of the legendary "Red Scarf," the ace who once spared his life in the skies over France. Bound by a code of honor that transcends war and borders, the German gives Trapani his freedom, evening a debt of mercy that spans two generations and two wars.

Colonel Frank Richards takes command of a bomber base with little understanding of what combat leadership truly costs, dismissing his men's concerns until losses begin mounting. As he sweats out mission after mission, watching crews depart and counting the empty seats when they return, he discovers that commanding men in wartime means bearing a weight no training manual prepared him for. By the time he's earned his wings the hard way—on the ground—Richards has learned what it means to send boys into danger and live with the consequences.

Lt. Paul Geyer has flown twenty-four bombing missions and is just one flight away from going home—but on his final mission, he's assigned to lead a green crew on their first combat run over enemy territory. As Geyer draws on everything he's learned from nearly two dozen missions to guide these inexperienced pilots through flak and enemy fighters, he faces the weight of responsibility and the knowledge that one mistake could cost lives. With the odds stacked against him on the very mission that should secure his ticket back to the States, Geyer must decide what kind of pilot—and man—he wants to be.