True Valor
Praise for Dee Henderson and
True Valor
“With its behind-the-scenes look at military deployments and a setting taken straight from the headlines,
True Valor
will have special appeal for military families and anyone searching for heroes in these uncertain times.”
BookPage
“The high-tension action scenes make a jarring counterpoint to the ‘easy’ pace of the romance. Ms. Henderson pulls off the seeming dichotomy with dispatch. . . . I honestly believe Ms. Henderson could make a grocery list interesting to read.”
Scribes World Reviews
“Dee Henderson writes with the skill of an F/A-18 Hornet pilot!”
Romantic Times
“Although
True Valor
is a very intense and beautiful relationship drama, it is also an action-packed military thriller with some stunning aerial scenes. Dee Henderson has written a novel that will appeal to both genders—especially those readers who relish a clever interweaving of action, adventure, and romance.”
BookBrowser
“An awesome story about guts, silent glory, and determination. . . . The strong characters and tumultuous plot make this an outstanding story.”
Romance Communications
“Henderson’s military themes and her strong, career-minded female characters are fairly original for the CBA market, and this latest installment should help build steam for the series.”
Publishers Weekly
Readers’ Praise
“I served in the U.S. Navy during Desert Storm, and your book is one of the best books I have read in a long time! Can’t wait for the next Uncommon Heroes book!” —M. M.
“You have an amazing ability to weave a tale about Christians struggling to make sense out of their lives and the curveballs they’re thrown. The Scripture verses used throughout the story are well placed and fit the story masterfully.” —K. R.
“Thank you for sharing your gift and love of God.” —S. H.
* * *
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True Valor
Copyright © 2002 by Dee Henderson. All rights reserved.
Previously published in 2002 by Multnomah Publishers, Inc., under ISBN 1-57673-887-6.
Cover images of man and woman © by Aleta Rafton. All rights reserved.
Illustration of seal © 2001 by Dawson 3D, Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1952 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4143-1063-3
ISBN-10: 1-4143-1063-3
Table of Contents
Glossary
AAA:
AntiAircraft Artillery.
Afterburner:
Extra fuel injected into the hot exhaust gas of an aircraft for added thrust.
Angels:
Altitude in thousands of feet. “Angels 10” indicates 10,000 feet of altitude.
AWACS:
Airborne Warning And Control System. Aircraft fitted with long-range radar that provides tactical and target information to air and ground control units.
Bingo fuel:
Not enough fuel to return to a location.
C-130:
Air Force transporter for a long haul.
Chaff:
A small cloud of thin pieces of metal, such as tinsel, used to confuse enemy radar and divert a radar-guided missile away from the plane.
CO:
Commanding Officer.
F/A-18 Hornet:
Navy fighter aircraft used for air and ground offensive strikes.
FOD:
Foreign Objects on the Deck of an aircraft carrier that can damage planes.
G:
Gravitational force through acceleration.
GPS:
Global Positioning System. Satellite guidance around earth used to precisely pinpoint aircraft, ships, vehicles, and ground troops.
HARM:
High-speed, Anti-Radiation Missile. Missile whose seeker head homes in on radar-emitting sources.
IFF:
Identification Friend or Foe. A coded message sent to a target’s IFF transponder.
Jink:
Erratic flight maneuver(s), dodge, slip, etc.
LSO:
Landing Signal Officer.
MiGs:
Russian-built fighter jet, used in many nations around the world.
Nugget:
A new pilot in the air wing on his first sea cruise.
PJ:
Pararescue Jumper.
PT:
Physical Training.
EA-6B Prowler:
Navy aircraft used to map enemy radar and suppress them.
Roger:
A yes, an affirmative, a go answer to a command or statement.
SAM:
Surface-to-Air Missile.
SEAL:
One of the elite branches of the U.S. Special Forces operating from the sea, air, or land.
Sidewinder:
Heat-seeking (infrared) missile.
TDY:
Temporary DutY assigned outside of normal job designation.
XO:
eXecutive Officer.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27
Prologue
* * *
“It won’t fly.”
Grace rescued the airplane for her younger cousin from where it had crashed into the tile around the backyard pool, smoothing out the smashed nose of the plane. “It didn’t have enough lift under its wings,” she encouraged, seeing the problem. She carefully folded stabilizers on the wingtips. “Try again.”
Tom took the plane. She bit her lip as he swung himself up into the old oak tree. Spring leaves hid him from sight. He reappeared straddling the big limb that held the rope swing. He was determined to get his plane to fly farther than hers. He tossed the plane with so much force it hurtled toward the ground until the aerodynamics took over and the plane lifted and suddenly soared. “Yes!”