I did something a little...permanent.  I got a new tattoo - Charles' pilot wings on the inside of my right wrist.  I've been tinkering with the idea since I got back from the Normandy trip last summer.  After a particularly good writing run and a whole lot of inspiration, I sucked it up and got my ink.  I completely love it!  Look at me, bein' a badass with a new tattoo...  ;)

A new work project brought a new and kind of amazing surprise into my life and I have been so busy that I've not been able to spend much time with Charles or on the book.  It was terrible timing from a creative perspective as I'd pushed through three new chapters before the cray cray Hurricane Ivan blew my doors open, but I am so so so happy and challenged with work that I can't complain.  Lots of exciting things on the horizon and I just know that Charles will, as always, wait patiently for me.

We Three

Charles and his P-51 Mustang,
"We Three" in England, 1944

I don't know whether I should credit Charles or Paul McCartney for this discovery.  As all things Charles go, he shows me to the most interesting, sometimes useless but always absolutely priceless gifts.  A few weeks ago I was trolling though iTunes looking for something new and I stumbled on the new Paul McCartney album.  He was so cool on the Grammy's I thought I'd give it a listen.  It was all okay, a bunch of cool reboots of old songs and then track number six made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  I'd never heard it before and when I looked at the title, I teared up - We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me).  I'm going with Charles showed me this by way of Paul McCartney.  How could I not?

I looked it up and it turns out that this song was originally recorded and made popular by Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra with Frank Sinatra on vocals in 1940.  Now, I know that Charles named his plane, We Three, for his little family, but it made me wonder...  Everything I've learned about him and his character leads me to believe that he knew this song and that it might have played some small part.  If you click on the link and take a listen, it's a little sad and eerie -  We Three, we'll wait for you, even til eternity, my echo, my shadow and me, we'll be there waiting.  Spooky.

WWII Aerial Intelligence Photos Declassified

I always get excited when I find some new Charles-related info.  My friend CJ told me about a NOVA documentary - that of course I missed - called "3D Spies of WWII," about the photo recon pilots of WWII.  It highlights the RAF (Royal Air Force) more than the USAAF but it's still cool that the work these pilots did is being documented like this.  It wasn't a direct line to Charles or his service as it starts with the RAF beginning their aerial recon in 1939, way ahead of the US entry into WWII, and these guys flew Spitfires while Charles flew a P-51 Mustang, but it was at least a peek into his job while stationed in England.  I assumed this new little nugget was more RAF (Royal Air Force) news than anything else, until I learned the name of this particular collection that is being preserved by the National Collection of Aerial Photography which falls under the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland organization: The Aerial Reconnaissance Archives (TARA).  I guess Charles felt like he needed to spread the love. This time it wasn't for me.  This time he was saying hello to my sister, Tara. 

In late 2009, nearly ten million aerial photos were declassified and released to the public through this archive.  They continue to digitize and release more every day.  Crazy.  Unfortunately the photos that I've seen don't indicate a pilot's name so the possibility of matching up even one of Charles' images is nearly impossible.  However, everything I've uncovered, discovered or learned along this journey makes me sure that the word 'impossible' doesn't mean what I used to think it did.