The inspiration for the story!

When my husband's mother passed away in 2015, we discovered a collection of letters from his uncle, written while he served in the US Army Air Forces during World War II. As we read them, my husband reflected on how his father had always desired to visit the site in Wales where their plane had crashed on the way back to the United States, carrying his uncle and nineteen other servicemen. This sparked a journey that led us from the US to Wales, and eventually on a virtual journey around the globe as I gradually connected with other family members.

First things first: we planned a trip to Wales. We had searched online and had seen photos of the memorial plaque that had been installed near the crash site, through the efforts of a young teenager by the name of Matthew Rimmer. Matt had read about the crash and became very interested in the story behind the accident, which occurred not too far from where he lived. After conducting countless hours of research and searching for family members of the victims through ads in Air Force news magazines as well as contacts from the 351st Bomb Group organization, he designed and erected the plaque some fifty years after the crash.

When I think now of that singular action of placing the plaque, I realize that it was the golden thread connecting everyone who had an interest in these men. Matt's selfless actions planted the seed for me to reach out to others, hoping to find someone who might have known Mendy, our relative. His initiative set everything into motion ... and forever altered our lives.