The Story of P-38 Odyssey

     It was well after his early death in 1984 that I began to glimpse the real import of my father's wartime experience.  As our mother's health declined, I was faced with sorting through a lifetime's accumulation of memorabilia. Among much else, I began sifting through several military footlockers and a number of boxes, all unopened since the late 1940's or early '50's.

     The process seemed much like an archaeological dig as bit by bit I discovered the wartime records Dad had left us. It was fascinating to find, compile, collate and transcribe them, but it was thrilling ultimately to realize that we had a complete narrative from Dad's enlistment in July 1940 through his return from prison camp in June 1945.

     A parallel fascination has been the research necessary to interpret and contextualize what I found and to fill in the historical gaps.  But far more important has been the concomitant process of discovery which taught me that the man I knew, loved and respected as a son was someone of greater dimensions and character than I had realized.