Michael Darter

Fateful Flight of the Lonesome Polecat II Michael Darter

For 60 years the author felt much anguish and yearned to discover what happened to his only brother, S/Sgt. Eugene F. Darter, who enlisted in the Army-Air Force after Pearl Harbor and was assigned to a B-17 crew. Just before departing for England and never to be heard from again, his brother came home and carried his newly born brother through the neighborhood on a pillow. Over the years attempts to locate information were of no avail but the initial bonding of brothers did not diminish. Then in 2000, through a World War II B-17 web site, a summary of the aircraft's missions and a list of the 10 crewmates were discovered. A four year intensive investigation was set into motion beginning with a shocking conversation with the crewmate who found his wounded brother in the burning aircraft and helped him bail out. Beyond all belief, eyewitnesses were located on a Dutch island that saw Eugene parachute through the mist and also saw his badly damaged B-17 roar over their heads 60 years previous. Fateful Flight of the Lonesome Polecat describes the story of the B-17 crew from its formation to the end of World War II and shares the compelling and emotional search for a missing loved one.