From Chapter 8 of War Bonds: Love Stories From the Greatest Generation;
As he ran down the beach back toward his duty station, a Japanese Zero strafed the sand around him. Nick hit the ground and covered his head. He said he felt a hot breeze and heard a whistling sound inches from his ears. He looked up and saw the face of the pilot as he flew alongside him. The pilot grinned.
When he got up he discovered a large piece of shrapnel next to him. “I grabbed it,” he said. “It was still hot from the explosion.”
Last night, Nick Gaynos attended a War Bonds reading at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. He brought that piece of shrapnel with him.
Simply amazing.
Cindy Hval 