Echoes of Normandy: The Georgia Peach’s Flight Through History

Echoes of Normandy is a poignant, first-person narrative told through the voice of “The Georgia Peach,” a C-47A Skytrain that served during World War II and beyond. From her assembly in 1944 at the Douglas Aircraft plant in Santa Monica to her final resting place at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, the Georgia Peach recounts her remarkable journey as both a warhorse and a teacher.

The story spans the heat of battle, including D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. As she carries paratroopers into Normandy under fire and drops life-saving supplies over the Ardennes, her reflections highlight the human courage, camaraderie, and sacrifice of the war effort. After the fighting ends, she transitions into civilian life, becoming a passenger aircraft and later a classroom exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry—educating children and preserving the legacy of the Greatest Generation.

The Peach is ultimately restored and celebrated at Evergreen, where it now inspires future generations not just as an artifact, but as a living testament to resilience, purpose, and the enduring power of memory. Filled with emotion, history, and lesser-known facts about the iconic C-47, this book is both a celebration of aviation and a tribute to those who served in the skies and on the ground.

Lead Sled: A Phantom’s Legacy

Lead Sled: A Phantom’s Legacy tells the gripping first-person memoir of F-4C Phantom II #63-7647, a Cold War-era jet fighter forged for battle and remembered for its valour. From its birth on the factory floor in 1963 to its final resting place at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, the Phantom recounts a life of fire, flight, and legacy spanning three decades of service.

The Phantom’s journey spans its deployment to Vietnam with the legendary “Triple Nickel” 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron. It details harrowing missions, heroic ground crews, and its role in historic air combat operations such as Operation Bolo. Readers experience aerial kills, missile duels, and the iconic moment on June 5, 1967, when 63-7647 earned its red star by downing a MiG-17, recognized as the final U.S. aerial victory of the Vietnam War.

Beyond combat, the Phantom becomes a mentor, training new generations of Oregon Air National Guard pilots before transitioning to museum life. Through vivid storytelling, the book honors not only the aircraft but also the pilots, engineers, and maintainers who entrusted it with their lives.

Packed with history, emotion, and little-known facts about the F-4, Lead Sled serves as a powerful tribute to a war machine that became legendary—not only in the skies but also in the hearts of all who knew her. For readers fascinated by the untold stories behind military aviation, Forged in Secrecy uncovers the secret origins of stealth aircraft and the brilliant minds who shaped them.