Midway Bravery

Army Air Force pilot Jim Muri flew his torpedo-equipped B-26 bomber on a daring mission of survival that helped win the Battle of Midway in June 1942. He and his crew were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery, a distinction second only to the Medal of Honor. Lieutenant Colonel Muri, his rank upon retirement, became a househod name to a nation yearing for heroes in the dark early months of World War II. Muri grew up during the Great Depression as the second oldest child of a family of nine on a ranch in drought-stricken Eastern Montana. He decided he wanted a better life than he probably could have had had he followed in the footsteps of his father, a first-generation Norwegian immigrant. Jim caught the flying bug in high school, pursued his dream of becoming a pilot and survived an iconic mission in the Pacific that helped turn the tide of battle in World War II. His story serves as an example of dream, purpose and passion fulfilled. It resonates today and can provide an inspiration to readers in all walks of life.