AIR: Sergeant Peterson

At Gowen Field, near Boise, Idaho, one evening last week a bomber caught fire in the air. Spectators stood frozen as it careened to a landing, crashed through a parked plane, stopped—a blazing inferno. Even then all stood still except one.

Sergeant William Peterson did not wait to put on his pants, ran out alone, pulled five still-living men from the wreck, did not have time to save the others. And perhaps he could not have saved them anyway, because his arms were peeled from wrist to shoulder, his eyebrows singed, his eyes so badly burned he may never see...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!