While Japanese and American forces fight mercilessly for control of the Philippines in 1945, two men, a Japanese infantry officer and an American P-51 fighter pilot, meet in a fearsome battle that leaves the Japanese officer dead. Half a century later, the fighter pilot's son, Frederick E. LaCroix, inherits the officer's bloodied, Kanji-inscribed Imperial battle flag, which was given to his father as a memento of his victory. The flag, coupled with his father's wartime correspondence, propels LaCroix on a six-year journey across eastern Asia to find the dead officer's family and return the flag.The Sky Rained Heroes details the emotional true stories of two soldiers from vastly different cultures, their families and the diverse paths that led them to their fatal meeting. Drawing from their actual wartime experiences, LaCroix crafts a unique and powerful narrative that brings the dramatic events of World War II to life and honors those who fought so bravely.
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About the Author
For over twenty years, Frederick E. LaCroix, the son of a World War II fighter pilot who fought in the Pacific theater, has lived in and traveled throughout Asia, where he works to create new economic and educational opportunities in the Asian countryside. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of The PowerSource Group LLC and resides in the Philippines.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great read...,
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This review is from: The Sky Rained Heroes: A Journey from War to Remembrance (Hardcover)
The author's knowledge of Asian cultures is extensive. He seamlessly blends insights into both the Japanese and American WWII experiences against an easy-to-follow narrative line of two soldiers moving toward a climactic final encounter. The author's research on the training techniques of American fighter pilots and Japanese infantry is fascinating. But it is the moving story of the author's attempts to bring the soldiers' families together that makes this book so compelling. A really unusual and therefore interesting book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Absolute Thumbs-Up!,
This review is from: The Sky Rained Heroes: A Journey from War to Remembrance (Hardcover)
The Sky Rained Heroes defies ready characterization. It's part family memoir, part dramatic narrative, part military history, part picaresque adventure tale. Anyone looking for an easy fit into one of these categories will be disappointed. But wherever you place the book, LaCroix accomplishes a remarkable piece of detective work in tracing from war letters and a captured battle flag the journey of two enemies through training to battle to eventual posthumous reconciliation. The narrative is enlivened with the author's own unusual, often amusing, experiences in Asia and extensive literary allusions. The writing is fluid and eloquent, if at times a little complex and eclectic. Chapters are short and punchy. The exhilaration of the story line carries the reader forward and more than amply rewards the investment of a little time.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Review of "The Sky Rained Heroes",
By Stepen Z. Bardowski "Life long Bears' fan." (Enola, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
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This review is from: The Sky Rained Heroes: A Journey from War to Remembrance (Hardcover)
A thoroughly researched work. Sadly, the author is extremely impressed with his own vocabulary, and his incesant quotation of scholarly tomes and ancient authors. This makes one lose track of what the reason the book exists, at least as far as being a WWII history goes. While one is trying to follow the story line being presented, the reader is constantly distracted by his arcane citations and obscure historians and philosphers.
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Red Leader, World War, New Guinea, Lieutenant Ishizuka, Pacific War, Pearl Harbor, United States, Aung San, Imperial Army, Texas Dear Family, Red Cross, Sergeant Ishizuka, Florida Dear Family, San Francisco, Philippines Dear Family, Stamford Flying School Stamford, General Yamashita, Kent Ridge, Fook Choon, Kwantung Army, Bartow Army Air Field Bartow, Flying School Enid, Hong Kong, Lingayen Gulf, Imperial Japanese Army Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Red Leader, World War, New Guinea, Lieutenant Ishizuka, Pacific War, Pearl Harbor, United States, Aung San, Imperial Army, Texas Dear Family, Red Cross, Sergeant Ishizuka, Florida Dear Family, San Francisco, Philippines Dear Family, Stamford Flying School Stamford, General Yamashita, Kent Ridge, Fook Choon, Kwantung Army, Bartow Army Air Field Bartow, Flying School Enid, Hong Kong, Lingayen Gulf, Imperial Japanese Army Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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