A thought-provoking exploration of the beauty, honor, and suffering of war.
By William A. Corbett ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023
TC Corbett’s posthumously published memoir reflects on his experience as a pilot during World War I and the anguish of his return to civilian life. Born in Chicago in 1895, he was drafted to serve in the Great War in 1917 and joined the Army’s Aviation Corps. His decision to become a pilot was largely motivated by a desire to impress Sis Walsh, a girl back home in South Haven, Michigan, whom he had a crush on. However, when he last saw her, she seemed distant and cold, thus ending a love story that never really began. Corbett completed his training in Dallas in less than five months, despite the high risk of accidents and fatalities. After his discharge in 1919, he faced several personal issues: his mother was ill, he was in pain due to a plane crash, and his outlook on life had changed drastically. He had gone from being a hopeless idealist to a practical realist. Corbett poignantly remembers the emotional pain of returning to civilian life, describing it as a struggle against grief, hopelessness, despair, inertia, physical suffering, nostalgia, and loneliness. His writings were compiled by his son, William A. Corbett, who provides additional commentary. Corbett was a reflective man and a professional writer, having worked as a journalist at the Chicago Tribune for 25 years, and his skills enabled him to capture his challenges in prose.
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781958363713
Page Count: 246
Publisher: Mission Point Press
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2023