World War II was fought by the very hands of small-town America, where teenagers lied about their age to wear a uniform and everyday citizens planted victory gardens. But for the crew of the B-29 bomber Dragon Lady, the harsh reality of war struck in the skies over Yokohama. Ripped apart by enemy flack and consumed by an uncontrollable electrical fire, the crew was forced into a blind, terrifying crash landing into the deep Pacific. Stranded in enemy waters with zero communication and critically injured men, their chances of survival dwindled by the minute.
Miles away on the volcanic ash of Iwo Jima, a twenty-two-year-old PBY Catalina pilot named Royal A. Stratton answered the call. Defying direct military protocol, Stratton risked everything to land his flying boat directly into treacherous ten-foot ocean swells. What followed was the most successful lifeguard submarine rescue mission in naval history, but it came at an unthinkable price. This emotional documentary features rare, firsthand accounts from the veterans who lived through the chaos, detailing a breathtaking story of survival, a horrific cockpit accident, and the enduring legacy of a hero who gave everything so his brothers could make it home.
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