Charles E. Stanley Jr. has been named winner of Norwich University's 2023 William E. Colby Military Writers’ Award for his book, “Lost Airmen: The Epic Rescue of WWII U.S. Bomber Crews Stranded Behind Enemy Lines” (Regnery History, 2022).
Norwich presents the award, now in its 24th year, annually to a first solo work of fiction or nonfiction that has made a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations or international affairs. Winners receive a $5,000 honorarium.
In “Lost Airmen,” Stanley unveils the shocking true story of his father, Charles, and the 18 brave soldiers that he served alongside. Drawing on over 20 years of research, dozens of interviews and previously unpublished letters, diaries and memoirs written by the airmen, Stanley recounts the deadly journey across the blizzard-swept Dinaric Alps during the worst winter of the 20th century and the heroic men who fought impossible odds to keep their brothers in arms alive.
For Stanley, the book was about unveiling these amazing hidden figures and their extraordinary contribution to our country.
"When I decided to write the book, I knew I had discovered a great story about a group of ordinary men who performed extraordinary deeds during World War II,“ said Stanley. “I could only hope that the book would be worthy of them and their story."
Now retired, Stanley has held several important positions in New York state government. Most notably, he helped coordinate the state’s response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack as an aide to Gov. George Pataki. Stanley will be formally presented with his award and honorarium during Norwich's Military Writers’ Symposium Oct. 10-11 at the university’s Northfield campus.