Gil Rud grew up on a small farm in North Dakota ten miles from the nearest town. He attended a one-room country school where one teacher taught all eight grades. His high school only had a total of 100 students, which did afford him, as a self-described mediocre athlete, the opportunity to play football, basketball, baseball, and track. He attended North Dakota State University, graduating with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. His intention was to take over the family farm, but the Vietnam War and advice from his father derailed that career path. He was always amazed by the skill of the local crop dusters and flying in general, which led to him earning a private pilot license while still a college student. Although the Air Force was not interested in hiring him with his non-technical background, the Navy jumped at the opportunity to pick up a potential student pilot with some prior experience. This memoir details his improbable journey from a hell-raising, immature, adventure-seeking wild man, all the way to the Flight Leader of the Blue Angels and eventual command of an aircraft carrier. Gil is a great example of living the American Dream.
