Finding Bravo

The Greatest Rescue in Air Force History

9781960259677

32 pages

Bookpress Publishing

Hardback $19.95

Overview

On April 2, 1972, Lt. Colonel Gene Hambleton burrowed into a hastily dug hole in the jungle of Vietnam. He had ejected from his burning plane, parachuted through gunfire, and was surrounded by enemy soldiers, prompting the largest rescue operation in US Air Force history. As call-sign Bat 21 Bravo, this soldier would need to draw on his exceptional sense of navigation – and surprisingly, his love of golf – to survive.

Finding Bravo: The Greatest Rescue in Air Force History is the story of Hambleton’s inspiring fight to escape enemy territory alive, and the courageous men who sacrificed everything to save one of their own.

Author Bio

Like the subject of Finding Bravo, Gail Bradburn was also raised in Wenona, Illinois, where the Hambleton brothers were considered heroes. Her historical fiction focuses on ordinary people thrust into critical moments in time. She is the author of Alice and Frosty: An American Adventure and a Writer’s Digest Short Story Competition winner. Her articles and essays appear in a variety of publications, including numerous editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Sharing time between Illinois and Nebraska, Bradburn is a wife and a mother of grown children and adorable grandchildren who are all a constant inspiration. Most authors who talk about their family list how many children and grandchildren they have. Consider adding this detail? I would prefer to leave it as is, with no listing of numbers of children/grandchildren. Michelle Rouch has more than thirty-seven years of experience creating unique pieces of art inspired and informed by her technical knowledge as an engineer. Her artwork locks a moment in time for the public to pause and reflect, offering another dimension through which to promote aerospace technology. Rouch continues to develop new techniques to redefine the technical art genre with a contemporary approach. Children and parents alike have celebrated her illustrations for the children’s books Astronaut Al Travels to the Moon by Apollo 15 Astronaut Al Worden, First Flight by Shuttle Astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson, and Railroad to the Moon by Shuttle Astronaut Ron Garan. Her art won first place honors at the 2023 American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA) International Aerospace Art Exhibition.