Lieutenant Richard Francis Souhrada wasn't an acclaimed war hero, at least to anyone other than his family. He was simply one of 2.4 million young men who served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. His story, no doubt, is similar to a multitude of others who left their boyhood homes, earned their wings and eventually saw combat in the South Pacific. Richard's story, however, is retold by his family more than sixty years later with the discovery of an old shoebox containing all of his wartime letters home to his mother and family . His letters detail not only his flying experiences, but also the emotions, impressions, fears, personal relationships and the intimate thoughts a son would share only with his mother. This is the story of one of 2.4 million heroes, told in his own words.