Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
Everyone has that one childhood book—you know, the one that’s more duct tape than paper by the end, with pages so worn they feel more like ancient scrolls than anything produced after Gutenberg. For me, that book was The Last Mission by Harry Mazer.
Take a good look at that cover—go on, really drink it in—it’s well loved. It has everything a kid with an overactive imagination could want: bomber aircraft, flak explosions, drama at 15,000 ft, and that rugged “my book’s been through battle, too” look.
The Last Mission was my ticket to a world far beyond my sleepy hometown. While other kids were busy with sports or, you know, socializing like normal humans, I was diving headfirst into the skies over Europe, dodging Messerschmitts and daydreaming about life-and-death heroics—all while ignoring my math homework.
I loved this book so much that I may have gotten a bit…enthusiastic during a 5th-grade book report. Let’s just say my dramatic reenactment of a B-17 bomber crew’s last stand was, according to my teacher, “intense” and “a little concerning.”
By the way … umm… if you ever want to see a principal’s eyebrows disappear into their hairline, throw in a few “mayday!” shouts mid-presentation. Just saying… 🤷
But the truth is, Harry Mazer’s story of a young man lying about his age to join the Army Air Corps and then facing the harsh reality of war was more than just action-packed—it was human. It made me think about courage, fear, and the sheer guts it took to fly into the unknown. It taught me that even the bravest heroes were scared kids at heart—a revelation that felt pretty important when I was just a scared kid trying to pass my next math test. Yeah, like I’ve said before… I don’t math well.
Over the years, my copy of The Last Mission survived moves, spilled coffee, and even a dog who thought books were gourmet chew toys. It’s battered and bruised, just like the B-17s on its cover, but it’s still here—and so is that wide-eyed kid who dreamed of soaring through the clouds.
So if you ever catch me staring off into space with a nostalgic grin, now you know why. Somewhere in my mind, I’m still up there in the thin air, engines roaring, flak bursting, and heart pounding—all thanks to one very well-loved, very tattered little book.
Psst… Before I go, there’s one more little secret to tell you. Another favorite was The Battle of Midway—another well loved book from my childhood.
It was also an inspiration for two other posts I wrote this week:
Hope everyone has a happy 🍕🍺 Eve—better known as Thursday to most people, the day before Friday (AKA 🍕🍺 day)! 😎✌️Yeah, my brain typically operates only on airplanes, pizza, and beer… LOL! Have a great one!
Crock’s Thoughts 