After sixty years, there is so much about the plane crash I vividly remember, as if it was yesterday, Gene said. With pen and pads of yellow-lined paper, he carefully writes about his life from his youth to present day. He may stop to ponder what he chooses to document, but he perseveres to record his memories with careful consideration. One memory leads to another, and faded details reemerge for Genes personal reflection. He may smile, maybe chuckle a time or two, or perhaps he may need to wipe the tears from his eyes in quiet contemplation. He may stop to rest his hand and look out of the window of his Florida home to glimpse the innocent birds and wind in the trees. Soon the pages become a powerful collection of priceless letters. These personal recollections come from a life filled with good and bad, adventure, and duty. He is humble and epitomizes the meaning of a survivor.