The Innocent Hero

By Jerald L Hanson

Grit, bravery and an engineer's analytical mind keep James Lewis alive while he innocently solves a major intelligence problem for the U.S. Government.
Jim is your next door neighbor, a happily married family man who's ego doesn't let him say no when he is asked by his friend, Senator Gallby, to perform a task that is beyond his training and experience. He rescues an American Congressman from kidnappers in England and flies him across the English Channel in a single engine Cessna. Avoiding several attempts on their lives, he gets the Congressman home while unintentionally eliminating the rogue CIA agents responsible for the kidnapping.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Aug 12, 2003
• ISBN: 9781412214315

Jerald L Hanson

    Born August 31, 1942 in Aurora, Illinois, Jerry Hanson grew up on a dairy farm in rural Yorkville, Illinois. As a teenager he worked as a printers devil for the Kendall County Record and as a teller at the Farmers State Bank. After leaving for college and four years in the U. S. Air Force, he returned to Yorkville and a job at the bank. At age fifty two he retired from the banking business with a list of things he wanted to experience. He has since studied Anthropology at Northern Illinois University, attended the J. B. Hunt truck driving school, been trained as a Harley Davidson Mechanic and written two novels. For information about other books by Jerald Hanson please visit: The Innocent Hero, William, Forth and Back and Pure Gold

Book preview

© Copyright 2003 Jerald L. Hanson. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

Hanson, Jerald L., 1942-

The innocent hero / Jerald L. Hanson. ISBN 1-4120-0715-1 I. Title.

PS3608.A58I55 2003   813’.6   C2 003-903745-2

TRAFFORD

This book was published on-demand in cooperation with Trafford Publishing.

On-demand publishing is a unique process and service of making a book available for retail sale to the public taking advantage of on-demand manufacturing and Internet marketing. On-demand publishing includes promotions, retail sales, manufacturing, order fulfilment, accounting and collecting royalties on behalf of the author.

Suite 6E, 2333 Government St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 4P4, CANADA

Phone       [phone]      Toll-free       1-888-232-4444 (Canada & US)

Fax      [phone]      E-mail       [e-mail]

Web site www.trafford.com TRAFFORD PUBLISHING IS A DIVISION OF TRAFFORD

HOLDINGS LTD.

Trafford Catalogue #03-1083 www.trafford.com/robots/03-1083.html

10      9      8      7      6      5      4      3      2

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

EPILOGUE

ALSO BY JERALD HANSON

WILLIAM, Forth and Back

ANGELA

For my friends and family

past, present and future

In memory of

James Lee

1945-1993

Prologue

Wednesday, July 20, 2016, The Smithsonian Institute National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

David Lewis stood quietly gazing at the red and white airplane. It was in good company. Suspended by cables from the ceiling of the museum, it shared this room with Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis and Gerry Mock’s Spirit of Columbus.

The red and white Cessna-180 did not have a name, only an amazing story. David and his three children were on the balcony, nearly close enough to the airplanes to reach out and touch them. Attached to the railing in front of each airplane was a plaque, relating a very brief history.

Charles A. Lindbergh flew his Ryan monoplane from New York to Paris in less than 34 hours. He took off early in the morning, May 20, 1927, from Roosevelt Field near New York City and landed at Le Bourget Field in France the following day, becoming the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Geraldine (Gerry) Mock flew her 1953 Cessna-180 across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She took off from Columbus, Ohio, March 19, 1964, circled the globe and landed in Columbus, Ohio on April 18, 1964, having covered 23,206 miles. Gerry thus became the first woman to fly around the world.

David’s fifteen year old son, Jimmy, read the third plaque aloud to his two younger sisters:

This 1955 Cessna-180 was used in a daring rescue of the forty fourth President of the United States. Congressman Elliot Larson of North Dakota, was rescued fromkidnappers in England and secretly flown across the Atlantic Ocean in a single engine Cessna aircraft. Elliot Larson went on to become Governor of North Dakota and served two terms as President of the United States.

Was this Grandpa’s airplane? Jimmy asked.

I think it belonged to the government, Jimmy. But, this is the one that your grandpa told me about.

On the main floor below the airplanes there were cutaway displays of the cabins of each of the aircraft. David and his children rode the escalator down to the lower level to learn more about these famous airplanes.

The cabin cutaway displays shared two common characteristics. The cabins were small and they were fitted with very large fuel tanks. The fuel tank in the Spirit of St. Louis completely blocked any forward view. Charles Lindbergh used a side-mounted periscope to see ahead of his aircraft.

Jimmy was fascinated by the mock-up display of the fuel tank in the red and white Cessna. It had a history printed on it. May 9, 1990 it had taken off from Calais, France and landed in Dover, England. Jimmy studied the information on the tank. Dad! Jimmy said excitedly. Look atthis!

The final entry was May 13, 1990 Landed,, Silver Hill, Maryland. And it was signed: James Lewis

Chapter 1

The Senator

He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, testing its limits. Jim was a big man and had lifted the forward casters off the carpet before, but today he would land on his back. Embarrassed but unhurt, he set the chair on its tiny wheels again and sat down. Why would Senator Gallby want him to come to Washington, D.C.?

A week … two weeks max, he had said. This is sensitive, Jim, no publicity.

Walter Gallby and Jim became good friends while playing football at Dixon High

School. Wally’s right arm and Jim’s speed took the Dixon Bulldogs to the state championship playoffs three times. Beyond high school they took different career paths and lost touch for a while. After four years in the Air Force, Jim settled down in Freeport, Illinois with a good job, married his sweetheart and started a family.

Wally studied political science in college and taught high school history in Rockford, Illinois, eventually running for public office. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives before his election to the Senate. Wally enjoyed visiting with Jim during campaign stops in Freeport, because Jim refused to talk politics. It was refreshing to chat with an old friend who didn’t have a political axe to grind.

As soon as possible! Senator Gallby had said, when Jim asked how soon he was needed. Jim was born during world war two and like most American men of his generation, was ready to serve whenever his country needed him. He was pleased to be asked, but curious about why he had beenchosen. What on earth had he been chosen to do? He had neglected to ask!

How does one explain this sort of thing to his employer? No publicity. Does that mean that he is to tell no one? The answer came from his boss, David Bradley, who was walking rapidly toward Jim’s desk with a serious look on his face.

I just got off the phone with Senator Gallby, Jim. He wouldn’t tell me what he needs you for, but if he needs you, that’s good enough for me. David explained that he was to tell the staff that Jim was on vacation. Senator Gallby said he needed you as soon as you could get to D.C.! Real cloak and dagger stuff, eh Jimmy? You’re not licensed to kill or anything? he said, grinning.

You know I’m not supposed to talk about that, Dave, Jim said, rolling his eyes and feigning seriousness.

Better go home and break this to Sally, Jim… Oh, your tickets are at the travel agency on Fifth. You can pick them up on your way.

Why would David know his tickets were waiting for him? Why didn’t Senator

Gallby tell him? He arrived home to another surprise. His wife, Sally, had his bag packed and was ready to take him to the airport. Senator Gallby had talked to her, too! She said she was proud of him and was sure that it was nothing dangerous.

Everyone seemed to know just a little more than he did about what was going on. The girl at the travel agency had smiled knowingly when she handed him the envelope. She no doubt typed the note that was inside with the tickets.

Rush! Rush! Jim didn’t like things that happened fast. Decisions made in a hurry often had unexpected, sometimes disastrous, results. Whether by design or by chance, he was given no time to think about what was going on. Seventy five and eighty miles per hour on the way to Rockford International, required his complete concentration. Sally was excited about the cloak and dagger intrigue, and the conversation kept straying. What should she tell the children? What should she tell the neighbors? How do we stay in touch? Questions that were unanswered as Jim pulledthe car up to the curb, got out and was met by an official looking man in uniform.

Mr. James Lewis? There’s no time to waste! Follow me.

Jim gave Sally a quick hug and kiss as the man picked up his bag and headed for the door. He had never gone through security so fast! Everyone seemed to be expecting him. Everyone seemed to know more about this than