Triumphant We Fly

Casey’s 102nd birthday brings him back to Ridgewell, the airfield he once flew from. This episode also introduces Jean, one of the women who built the Ridgewell runway during WWII. Their stories — one in the air, one on the ground — show the strength and spirit that shaped the wartime home front, full of humor, grit, and quiet courage that remind us how ordinary people shaped extraordinary history...

In this episode, I conclude my interview with Casey Bukowski , a former B‑17 waist gunner who is now 101 years old. Casey reflects on the life he’s lived since WWII — a life shaped by resilience, gratitude, and a mantra he repeats with unwavering conviction: “Live life every golden minute of it.” He shares what keeps him going, what gives his days meaning, and why he has never stopped moving forwa...

In this episode, Casey recounts his time in Stalag Luft 6 and Stalag Luft 4. He also tells about his experiences on the 86 day Death March through Germany before his liberation.

In this episode, Casey tells the story of the fateful day when he and his crew were shot down for a second time. This time while on a mission to Germany. This mission occured on President's Day, February 22, 1944.

In this episode, Casey recounts the training accident that forced him and his crew to bail out, reflects on his time at Ridgewell Air Base in Essex, and shares the deep bond he felt for Lieutenant Flaherty and the other crew members.

In this episode, I speak with Casey about his life before the war. He reflects on his early romance with the woman who would become his wife and describes his experience after Pearl Harbor, when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and began training to become a B‑17 waist gunner.