Robert Curtis

Born in Middletown, Ohio, in 1949, Robert F. Curtis came of age just as the Vietnam War was reshaping a generation. After leaving high school twice, he earned a GED and entered the Army's Warrant Officer Candidate program, where he learned to fly.

That start led to a long aviation career across the Army, National Guard, and Marine Corps, along with service as an exchange officer with the British Royal Navy. After Vietnam, he studied political science at the University of Kentucky and later completed a master's degree in procurement and acquisition management at Webster University.

Curtis is best known for Surprised at Being Alive: An Accidental Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam and Beyond, a memoir built from more than two decades of military flying experience. Accounts of his work describe over 5,000 flight hours and a decorated career, including honors such as the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and multiple Air Medals.