There have been
countless books written about war and men in war. The actions of generals,
presidents, and kings are well documented., while the stories of average
soldiers, their feelings, hopes and simple courage, are often overlooked
and forgotten. Charles Fisher is one of these men.
Mission Number Three:
Missing in Action is a first-person account of the author's experiences as
an American airman reported missing in action in enemy-occupied France
during WWII. The story starts 6 September 1943, when Fisher and his crew
embark on a routine bombing mission. Their target is an
aircraft-electrical factory in Stuttgart, Germany. Enemy fighters attack
their squadron. Fisher's B-17 escapes serious damage and delivers its
bombs, but on its return journey, and some fifty-miles North of Paris, the
plane runs out of fuel. Deciding not to abandon the Flying Fortress,
Fisher and his crew stick together for a crash landing. they survive.
After destroying as much as they can of the plane's papers and equipment,
they scatter through the countryside, hoping to escape the enemy. Fisher
decides to set out with his buddy Jim. What follows for them is a series
of adventures through the French Underground to freedom. |