A Falcon Pilot

On May 17, 1944, Captain Ed Stevens was leading a flight of four P-47s from the 79th Fighter Group on a mission to patrol north of the Gustav Line near the town of Florence, Italy. By mid morning his P-47 would become a fireball; he would be shot three times, and sixty percent of his body would be burned severely, and he would become a P.O.W. for the duration of the war.

Years later Ed’s son-in-law Larry Callahan paid careful attention to the accounts given by this Falcon pilot and knew that his story must be written. Lieutenant Colonel Larry Callahan, United States Army Retired and former enlisted Marine Vietnam veteran, has written this book to recognize and to honor the sacrifices of all World War II veterans and to show gratitude to all who have served and to all who continue to serve.