The Eagle's Last Flight [Paperback]

Ron Standerfer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2005

Skip O’Neill was just twenty two when he volunteered to participate in an atomic test. He did so willingly, certain his government would not put him in harm's way. Afterwards, he served his country honorably and with courage, retiring as a Colonel and combat decorated fighter pilot. Years later, he learned the awful truth...he was dying of leukemia, most likely due to radiation exposure. While Skip is fictional, his story unfortunately is not. More than 400,000 troops were exposed to radiation during atomic tests or as POWs in Japan. Fewer than 20,000 are still alive. Most are over seventy five. Many have cancer.

"I participated in an atomic test at Yucca Flat, Nevada in August, 1957." Standerfer told an interviewer. "Standing on an observation platform eight miles from ground zero, I watched the detonation of an atomic bomb with a yield of 44 kiloton...more than twice the size of the one dropped in Nagasaki. Needless to say, it was an experience I never forgot and it weighed heavily on my mind when I wrote the book."

The Eagle's Last Flight is a journey through a nearly forgotten era when the Cold War veterans were place in harm's way by our government and routinely lost their lives due to the carelessness and mismanagement of their leaders. Given the current controversies over adequate protection for our troops in Iraq, it is likely that readers who take that journey will learn a lot about how things used to be, but conclude that nothing much has changed.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Eagle’s Last Flight is a journey through a nearly forgotten era when Cold War veterans were placed in harm’s way by our government and routinely lost their lives due to the carelessness and mismanagement of their leaders. Given the current controversies over adequate protection for our troops in Iraq, it is likely that readers who take that journey will learn a lot about how it used to be, but conclude that nothing much has changed. And that is a lesson well worth noting --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Author

"I participated in an atomic test at Yucca Flat, Nevada in August 1957," Standerfer told an interviewer. "Standing on an observation platform eight miles from ground zero, I watched the detonation of an atomic bomb with a yield of 44 kilotons---more than twice the size of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Needless to say, it was an experience I never forgot and it weighed heavily on my mind when I wrote The Eagle's Last Flight." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (November 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595360874
• ISBN-13: 978-0595360871
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,974,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ron Standerfer was born and raised in Belleville, Illinois, a town across the Mississippi river from St. Louis, Missouri. While attending the University of Illinois he took his first airplane ride in a World War II-Vintage B-25 bomber assigned to the local ROTC detachment. It was a defining moment in his life. Weeks later, he left college to enlist in the Air Force's aviation cadet program. He graduated from flight training at the age of twenty and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

Another defining moment occurred early in his career. In August 1957, he participated in an atomic test at Yucca Flat, Nevada. Standing on an observation platform eight miles from ground zero, he watched the detonation of an atomic bomb code named Smoky. The test yielded an unexpected 44 kilotons---more than twice the size of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. He never forgot Smoky, and the memory of that experience weighed heavily on his mind when he wrote The Eagle's Last Flight, a semi-autobiographical novel about his life as an Air Force fighter pilot during the Cold War.

Ron's twenty seven-year Air Force career spanned the Cold War years between 1954 and 1981. During that time, he flew a variety of high performance fighters including the F-100, F-102, F-105, F-4 and A-7. He flew over 200 combat missions during the Vietnam conflict and was awarded two Silver Stars, thirteen Air Medals and the Purple Heart. The latter was received after he was shot down over Tchepone, Laos in 1969. He retired from the Air Force just as the Cold War ended as a full Colonel after tours in the Pentagon and Tactical Air Command headquarters in Virginia.

He continued to pursue his passion for aviation after retiring. He was a marketing director for Falcon Jet Corporation, a subsidiary of the French aerospace manufacturer Dassault Aviation. In that capacity, he was responsible for launching the marketing campaign for the Falcon 900, a long-range business jet. Later, he was an owner of an aircraft charter and management company in Elmira, NY and also a marketing consultant.

Ron is a prolific writer and journalist. He appeared on WOR TV in New York City during the first days of the Persian Gulf War, providing real time analysis of the air war as it progressed. His book reviews and syndicated news articles are published regularly in the online and print news media, as well as in military journals.

These days Ron and his wife Marzenna, the daughter of a distinguished theatrical family in Poland, spend their time in their homes in Gulf Stream, Florida and Warsaw.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Book Is Not Just For Men!, December 26, 2005

By 

A Fighter Pilot's Wife - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eagle's Last Flight (Hardcover)

My husband had long since retired from the Air Force when we met but he often entertained me with "war stories" about his days as a fighter pilot. Most of the time I listened with one ear. When he finished "The Eagle's Last Flight" and suggested I read it I didn't want to do it. Finally he twisted my arm and I read the first few pages. I was hooked! The flying part was interesting and easy to understand. But there was so much more to the story. For one thing, I was surprised to find a genuine love story intertwined in all the flying stuff...with enough enough tragedy to keep a box of Kleenex near at hand. And as I followed the lives of the main character and his wife I felt like I was standing beside them the entire way. As for the plight of the atomic veterans, I was shocked at how carelessly they had been treated. It's a story every American should be told and should even be taught in school. This book is not just for pilots, or even just for men for that matter. It's a fantastic read with something in it for everybody. I heartily recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs Up From A Fellow Fighter Pilot, December 26, 2005

By 

Mach Buster - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eagle's Last Flight (Hardcover)

Okay, I'll admit it. I remember Ron Standerfer from the old days and know he is one of us---so I was determined to read his book. But the story was totally unexpected and literally blew me away! I expected a lot of "there I was at 50,000 feet" stories filled technical details and historical facts. What I didnt expect was a detailed, sensitive account of one man's life throughout the cold years from beginning to end---the hardships he and his family endured, the sometimes random deaths of his squadron mates in training accidents, the struggle to succeed in an extremely competitive environment--- he covered all the bases in a fast paced and powerful way. And I learned something I didnt know, namely the plight of the 250,000 or so military personnel that participated in the atomic tests during the 40s and 50s. What a tragedy! The Eagle's Last Flight is a fascinating story, superbly written, and eminently readable. You gotta read it!!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wannabe, June 17, 2006

By 

DON SHEPPERD "Don Shepperd, Author" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eagle's Last Flight (Hardcover)

If you wannabe a fighter pilot, read this book. If you always wanted to be a fighter pilor and never were, read this book. If you were or are a fighter pilot, read this book. I guarantee enjoyment. This is one of the best books about flying fighters, life in the military, war and the humans who do it, all with the best of characters shrouded in history, mixed with realism, sex, joy, tragedy, sadness, mystery. I could feel the Gs, taste the martinis and smell the perfume. I felt like I knew the characters, or someone just like them, and saw every fighter pilot in "Skip" and every fighter pilot's wife in "Christy" - go get this book NOW - and put it on the top of your stack - you won't be disappointed - Don Shepperd, author and CNN Military Analyst