Oshkosh Wisconsin
The Caramel Crisp Bookstore is honored to host four amazing authors on Friday July 26th 5 pm to 6:30 pm at an event entitled “Spirit Takes Flight; Stories of Hardship Courage and Hope”. Although these four authors come from very diverse backgrounds they are united in writing about the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity danger and grief.
Jim Purtell grew up in rural Wisconsin with eleven siblings. Jim knew nothing about Vietnam and had never traveled more than ninety miles from home before he enlisted in the army at eighteen. As a medic he experienced ambushes mortar attacks and the constant stress of being under-manned and overworked. In his book Vietnam There and Back; A Combat Medic’s Chronicle Jim relives the chaos and trauma of the war which he feels gave him a clearer understanding of his life’s course.
Another of the authors who will attend the “Spirit Takes Flight” event retired Continental Flight Attendant and Oshkosh Native BJ Elliot Prior also chronicles her experience in the Vietnam era. BJ published her first book Behind My Wings as a way to share her recollections of transporting soldiers in and out of Vietnam in the late sixties and early seventies. In her book she recounts the stories of Veterans she knew during her years in the air.
Author Neil Hanson began his aviation career for Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. He spent more than a decade in Southeast Asia as a captain for Air America an airline that operated for the CIA during the Vietnam era. Neil’s story Flight An Air America Pilot’s Story of Adventure Descent and Redemption incorporates the pathos of a war-torn region humor and the insights he gleaned from his many adventures in the danger zone.
Author Susan Stark Christianson who rounds out the panel of authors at “Spirit Takes Flight” is an award winning former journalist. Like BJ and Neil Susan will be flying into Oshkosh for Airventure 2024. She is the author of “Flying With Wings: A True Story of an Alaska Aircraft Accident”. While Susan’s story does not chronicle war and combat her subject is equally harrowing – a 1994 DeHavilland Otter floatplane disaster in Alaska's Taku River. The story underscores both the trauma of the crash and the determination of the Wings of Alaska pilots to rescue survivors. Perhaps most importantly this book captures the spirit of human resilience that led a survivor to return two decades later seeking understanding of the accident that took her loved ones’ lives.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and talk with this amazing group of writers and hear their stories of despair hope and redemption! Join us at Caramel Crisp Corner on Friday July 26th at 5:00 pm for this truly once-in-a-lifetime event!
Event Venue
Caramel Crisp Bookstore, 200 City Center Suite C, Oshkosh, WI 54901, United States
USD 0.00