Each plane was making two or three missions a day. Some of them were just terrible. They were getting flak hits every 20 seconds for about an hour-and-a-half on one of the worst bomb runs.

Those planes were not meant to fly without both engines. When they lost one, they couldn't keep their altitude. But he managed to keep it trimmed and throw out as much as he could in order to land it.

I came in with questions about insurance, and they told me my husband was eligible for medals. He never had any idea.

My son turned 10 just the other day. He said, 'Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play - Can you teach me to throw?' I said, 'Not today, I got a lot to do.' He said, 'That's OK.'

The possibility for error, and the willingness of people to challenge those errors, are both growing every day. And that could have tremendous impact on elections in 2006 and beyond.

I am a greedy, selfish bastard. I want the fact that I existed to mean something.