It Was Just Too Exciting

Edward Field grew up feeling out of place in Long Island, New York, a gay, Jewish “interloper.” When he joined the Army Air Corps in 1942, he felt he’d “escaped from a world I didn’t like to one I did.” Field became a navigator and flew twenty-seven missions over Germany. One mission ended in a crash landing in the North Sea and an astonishing act of altruism.

For more powerful memories from veterans, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/american-veteran/, where you can also watch the American Veteran television series and digital short films. Learn more by using #AmericanVeteranPBS.