8 MIRACULOUS MONTHS IN THE MALAYAN JUNGLE

Book excerpt: It is some story - so fantastic you probably won't believe it. But it really happened.Lt. Col. Donald J. HumphreyMy father's quotation above is from a press release by the Associated Press and printed in the Iowa Postville Herald on September 12, 1945. World War II had just ended, and my father was in Singapore. The press wanted to know what happened to him in the Malay jungle for the past eight months.This book tells that story. My father wrote the original manuscript when he was in his 20s. I remember seeing it when I was a young kid-8 x 10 pages with a thick black paper cover. He always wanted someone to write it better and make it into a published book, but he never found the right person to do it. Then time ran out on him. I decided to dust it off and turn it into a book that would take the reader into the realities of World War II and at the same time tell my father's story of faith, courage, and bravery. I wrote this book for my father who hopefully is looking down with an approving smile. I also wrote it for my father's family and friends. But actually, I wrote this book for everybody-a fascinating first-person account of a B-29 bomber pilot and an inside look at an extremely important part of history. A 26-year-old Major in the Twentieth Air Force, 468th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Force during World War II. Former B-17 and B-29 flight instructor, veteran of 17 prior bombing missions, and Commander of the 793rd B-29 Superfortress Squadron flying out of the U.S. Army Air Force base at Kharagpur, India. Pilot of B-29 No. 42-24704, the Postville Express.On January 11, 1945, Major Donald J. Humphrey had his B-29 Superfortress directed at Singapore Island. After navigating the 1900-mile trip from India through dangerous weather, they had just successfully bombed their target. And that's when Japanese Zeroes shot off the wing and sent the mighty aircraft death-spiraling down into the Malay jungle.