You Are Not Forgotten: The Story of a Lost World War II Pilot and a Twenty-First-Century Soldier's Mission to Bring Him Home [Paperback]

In 1944 Major Marion “Ryan” McCown Jr., an earnest young Marine Corps pilot, came under attack by enemy fire and went down with his plane, lost to the dense jungle of Papua New Guinea. Some sixty years later, Major George Eyster V would find himself in the same sweltering and nearly impenetrable rain forest searching for evidence of MIAs. Coming from a long line of military officers dating back to the Revolutionary War, army service was Eyster’s family legacy. After a disillusioning tour of duty in Iraq and almost ending his army career, he accepts a posting to JPAC instead, an elite division whose sole mission is to bring all fallen soldiers home to the country for which they gave their lives. While Eyster’s search for McCown proves difficult, what emerges at the end of the unforgettable mission is an inspiring true tale of loss and redemption.“[A] unique, uplifting war story about sacrifice, dedication, and hope strung across decades and generations. . . . The endlessly complex mechanics of each of JPAC’s missions . . . makes for transfixing reading.”
—The Boston Globe
 
“[A] master-work of war and remembrance. . . . [A] compelling tale of inter-generational heroism. . . . Brilliantly conceived. . . . A savvy reporter, Mr. Bender showcases his research skills while making Ryan live again through diaries, flight logs and letters to his anxiously waiting mother—still poignant a half-century later.”
—The Washington Times
 
“[A] proud story about honoring the country’s defenders. . . . Bender narrates the complex drives that drew both men to serve, the grueling demands of their time at war, and the twists of fate that ultimately bring their stories together.”
—The Daily Beast