480. Amazing Connections keep coming
Prescott is a city in central Arizona, an hour away from Sedona. I was a little worried that no one would show up for my presentation at Prescott Public Library since I didn’t know a single soul in the area.
I arrived at the library half an hour ahead of time as I’ve always done. For dozens of presentations I’ve given, no one showed up that early; a few times I had to track down the hosts.
But there were half a dozen people when I arrived at Prescott library, and more continued to pour in. In the end, we had forty-four people, the second largest crowd I’ve ever had. And more importantly, I made more amazing connections.
A gentleman who has already heard my talk four times in Sedona and Cottonwood area showed up with a picture. It’s a 600-piece puzzle of a Flying Tiger’s P40 and a fierce tiger flying overhead! This particular airplane “Tomahawk 47” was piloted by Third Squadron flight leader Robert T. Smith.
“The puzzle was done over November and December in 2004,” Mr. Larry Stoffers said, “and it has been hanging on a wall in my den ever since.” He and his wife decided to give it to me and drove an hour to Prescott to do so. “I couldn’t think of any else who might enjoy it more than you.”
Later, I thanked him with a photo of me holding the precious puzzle and the Flying Tiger’s flight jacket I received, he sent me the following message: “I never realized that when I assembled the puzzle so many years ago, the true joy was not when it was finished but now when I see it with you. When I close my eyes, I can envision you flying in the cockpit of that P-40, wearing the Flighting Tiger jacket and having the fierce tiger flying along overhead, protecting your flight as you proceed along your life’s journey and future career as a successful author with your upcoming third book.”
What a heartfelt wish! I felt a lump in my throat. Book promotion is hard; there were times I felt frustrated and alone without any support. Amazing connections like with Mr. Stoffers made my struggle worthwhile.
Another man, Mr. Clayton Kuhles, has contacted me via my website. His neighbor told him about my presentation announced on a local newspaper. When he shared his website, I exclaimed, “Oh, my God.” I know who he is and his work. He runs a mission to recover US airmen who were lost in China-Burman-India theater during WWII. “He has found and documented 22 US aircraft missing since WW II, thereby accounting for 193 US military personnel listed as MIA or KIA. In some cases, Clayton was able to carry out remains of the missing personnel and bring closure to their families (https://www.miarecoveries.org/).”
When I did research for my books, I came across his website. In my second book, Danny Hardy and Birch Bai talked about searching for missing American airmen, although they didn’t have the chance to take on the task. I’m writing the third of the “trilogy,” and in it, I plan to write about the recovery mission.
Clayton attended my presentation, and we talked for hours afterwards.
Amazing connections just keep forming.
http://www.irisyang-author.com
Solo Travel to Alaska, and Beyond 
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