Tex Atkinson, Commander, U.S. Navy (retired), received his wings in July 1949. He made five carrier tours and flew over 100 combat missions in Korea before retiring from the Navy in 1968. Atkinson holds the usual assortment of awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Tex spent most of his early years in and around Central Texas, hence the nickname. This book is a combination of his first-hand experiences as a Naval Aviator and his personal memoirs of growing up in the 1930s and '40s.

Over the years, Tex has written articles and short stories for various magazines and is now semi-retired near Pensacola, Florida, with his wife Annie. They have raised a family of six children and now enjoy 22 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Following his active Navy duty, Atkinson founded an employee benefits agency. He and Annie still travel Florida for his agency, working with the hotel industry.