GRAND RAPIDS—
For much of his life, he kept quiet, never sharing the stories of success or failure. But in a newly published book, Virgil Westdale, now 92 years old, tells all.With the help of Stephanie Gerdes, a third grade teacher in the Kenowa Hills school district, Westdale chronicled his experiences in "Blue Skies and Thunder."
Westdale was born in Indiana, but raised on a farm in Michigan. He later went on to study at what is now known as Western Michigan University. It was there that he learned how to fly. Westdale later became a flight instructor, but was angered when the government took away his pilot's license as the Americans fought the Japanese in World War II. Born to a Caucasian mother and Japanese father, Westdale says he never faced discrimination until that moment.
Despite some setbacks, Westdale says he doesn't regret a single experience. After all, as he puts it, he can't enjoy the blue skies without experiencing thunder.
