This is the true story of Richard F. Hanson, a young man from Tacoma, Washington, who was drafted into the Army Air Corps in October 1942. As a radio operator and backup top turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator, he flew combat missions over Germany with the 445th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force. On April 12, 1944, his plane was shot down, and he became a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft IV.

This narrative chronicles his journey from training to combat, from capture to liberation, and the forced march that tested the limits of human endurance. It is a story of courage, survival, and the unbreakable spirit of those who served.