Hidden Strength

In 1944, on a sabotaged B-24 Bomber en route to a fifteen-hour mission to northern Germany from Cerignola, Italy, Navigator Robert C. Bueker parachuted from the stricken aircraft over Hungary and subsequently was captured by the Germans. A captivating tale of his physical trials and resourcefulness, mental anguish conquered by loving memories of his "childhood sweetheart" wife, depression erased by supreme confidence in the future and his unwavering belief in final victory unfolds in the mind of this German Prisoner of War awaiting repatriation. This is the story of courageous men who fought against the Germans over the skies of Europe against all odds. Men who watched their comrades fall to their deaths from fighter aircraft attack and anti-aircraft barrage. Men who saw their Groups and Squadrons devoid of aircraft after staggering losses that amounted to 65% casualties for combat crews of the 15th Air Force. Men who soon would realize after arrival in Italy that the next mission may be their last. World War II was a war that tried the stamina of a nation through a myriad of actions such as those portrayed in this memoir.