There I Was … The WARTIME MEMORIES of a Fledgling Birdman.

When five-year-old Robert Crouse saw a 1910 Curtis pusher biplane fly over his hometown in Tennessee, he was immediately mesmerized. After he watched the plane gently land behind the trees a short distance from his house, he informed anyone who would listen that one day he would fly a plane just like that one. In his memoir There I Was …, Crouse chronicles how his fascination with airplanes grew throughout his childhood and eventually led him on an unforgettable journey as a young airman during World War II. When Crouse was a seventeen-year-old high school senior, the United States became firmly embroiled in World War II. Although he was too young and suffered from a congenital heart condition, Crouse could hardly wait to get into uniform. As Crouse recounts the details of how he was eventually drafted in 1943 despite his medical challenges and later flew thirty-one missions in B-25s, he provides a real-life glimpse into what it was like for thousands of young men to serve their country in perilous times. There I Was … couples historical photographs with personal anecdotes and provides a captivating narrative sure to entertain World War II and airplane buffs alike.

A Review; Bob's "Story" is an excellent well-written true story that has you feeling as if you were actually right there. Read as his journey takes him through some tough times along with other American Fly-Boys as they learn how to deal with very real and deadly serious suituations. Learning to follow and then to lead others into COMBAT Missions and live to tell the tale. These Missions were risky, unpredictible and extremely important. There were no Missions or Target's that were not critical to the outcome of the War….. We needed every one and our boys went out and back out until all were successful. The price paid was unimaginable.

Then finding humor in the smallest amusing event, for without humor… none would have made it back. . . . . and bonding with others they barely knew for the good of the whole world. "Trust" America during WWII coined the term "Every Day Heroes". . . because there were Heroes in every suituation but not a single ONE was ordinary.

You will enjoy reading this honest account of WWII events, the coping mechanisms that our "boys" used . . . our "Every Day Heroes" and most especially learn about this extra-ordinary B-25 Pilot who invented a few of his own methods along the way to winning the war. This is a great read with an amazing account of the state of our Country when were entered the war and through the "War Years".

Barbara Ennis Connolly, WWII 57th Bomb Wing Historical Researcher. 10 Nov. 2010

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=195199

http://www.amazon.com/There-Was-Wartime-Fledgling/dp/1426938454

Robert S Crouse