Bill Bruce on Forest Patrol

Bill Bruce drifts lazily on a riverbank in the Oregon woods, savoring the quiet after years of soaring through combat skies. His thoughts wander back to Long Island, where he and his lifelong friend Bob Finch first signed up as flying cadets, and to the frantic days of training, test‑flights, and narrow escapes from sabotage. A bitter rivalry with a jealous fellow cadet, Andre, has already shadowed his early career, turning routine missions into tense cat‑and‑mouse games.

Now, back on solid ground, Bill applies his aerial skills to a new frontier: patrolling the U.S.–Mexico border against smugglers and illicit cargo. The same skies that once carried him into battle now host a high‑stakes trans‑continental air race, where old enemies lurk and fresh challenges test his resolve. Listeners will follow Bill’s transition from war hero to peacetime guardian, feeling the pull of adventure that still rides the wind.