A Soaring Story of Grit, Courage, Patriotism and Rebelliousness

When fighter-pilot hero Wendel Nelson died in action during World War II, he left a legacy that would see his son follow him into the skies. The Contrail Chronicles tells the story of this remarkable father and son. As Hitler’s assault on Europe ramps up, Wendel tries to enter the Air Force, but is rejected for poor eyesight. The Canadians are less picky, and Wendel ends up flying some of the most dangerous missions of the war. His untimely death in a snowstorm accident feeds young Dick’s hunger to honor his father’s memory, and weeks before his 18th birthday, he enlists in the U.S. Navy. What follows is an extraordinary career as Dick navigates the waters of the U.S. Naval Academy, flight training, service in Vietnam and a transition to civilian life as a commercial pilot and litigation attorney. Frank, moving, and at times uproariously funny, this is the true-life story of the commitment, survival, hope and disappointment of a patriotic American family. More than an autobiography, The Contrail Chronicles is a guidebook to a rarely seen world of military honor and its larger-than-life personalities—and pranks. Nelson leads readers through the origin of his own character, tempered with an endearingly sarcastic and rebellious sense of humor that will stick with you long after the book is closed.

Dick Nelson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1964. He has served as a politico-military liaison with the Peruvian Navy and the American Embassy in Peru, and as an F-8 fighter pilot. Nelson has been honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”, 13 Air Medals, the Navy Unit Citation, the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross and other decorations. He lives in Punta Gorda, Fla., with his wife, Janet.