Ace fighter pilot, Captain Oley Washington Jr. confidently guides his warplane into the teeth of danger.
As a scarred veteran of the Vietnam War, flying into enemy territory, with the constant threat of being shot down by buzzing anti-aircraft guns and rockets, no longer daunts him. It is a fact of life. When an enemy rocket hits his aircraft, the prospect of being captured by the enemy looms large on the horizon as he ejects and parachutes away from the burning plane.
A painful capture
Hobbled by a broken leg upon landing, the hard and woody ground offers him scant protection. He scrambles to hide beneath a fallen tree while enemy soldiers, who pinpointed his location because of his parachute, scoured the jungle. He manages to call for help using his emergency radio. The extraction fails because the enemy sees the rescue helicopter and mercilessly brings it down. The slight hope that Captain Washington nurtured that he can evade capture by the enemy is slowly slipping away from his grasp. He fights back with all the energy he can muster but the enemy surrounds and subdues him. A miserable life or death in a prison camp awaits him.
A hero prevails
Carl Kegerreis’ I Wish I Had Those Gasoline Pellets begins with an exciting tale of the exploits of Captain Oley Washington, Jr., the heroic fighter pilot. His capture at enemy hands could have easily thrown him into a fit of despondency and apathy at the hopelessness of it all. Instead, he is still able to find the courage to face his incarceration. With an iron will and indomitable spirit, he manages to craft an escape plan along with other prisoners. The adage that one can never put a good man down is proven to be true in this novel.
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