How does a young man from Davenport, Iowa end up being executed in a bamboo grove in Kyushu, Japan? This book tells the story of this young man, Charles S. Appleby. It is about friendship, love, heartbreak, hard work, revenge, war, and pride. Charles, or Charlie to his family and Chuck to his friends, was the navigator on a B-29 Superfortress crew in WWII when their B-29 crashed into the mountains of Japan. Chuck parachuted to safety, but was captured at the very end of the war. His time as a POW was short in comparison to most POWs; however, he and his fellow Airmen had no chance at surviving the burtality of the WWII Japanese military. Through letters, family stories, military documents, and the help and added information from many friends and family of this B-29 crew, as well as others, learn how this crew lived, laughed and loved until giving the ultimate sacrifice so their families could be free.