From the Prairie to the Pacific: A Blue Angel's Journey

I met the author in San Diego in 2016 where we were both serving as volunteer docents on the USS Midway Museum aircraft carrier. I wish I had known some of the stories in his memoir when I chatted with him over a couple of beers one evening in the world-famous aviators’ I-Bar at NAS North Island. Gil did a great job of writing the book. He is a gifted entertaining storyteller and, OH MY, what a story he tells. He calls himself the luckiest guy in the world for the life and career he has experienced, but I say he is responsible himself for making it all happen. He proudly points out that his practical farm-boy thinking got him out of more than a few potential disasters along the way. I highly recommend this outstanding book for current or former naval aviators and for anyone who wants to learn about this specialized military career path and what it means to be “carrier-qualed.”

Great book. Author takes is from his childhood on a farm through being an attack pilot for the Navy. He transitioned the Blue Angles from their last season flying A4 to the F18. Very interesting and a good read.

Great stories

Knowing Gil Rud - this is a great view of his life and the influences of growing up in a small farming town in S Dakota and then to an outstanding career in Naval Aviation being topped off with Command of the Blue Angels and ultimately USS Constellation. What a straight forward down to earth person Gil is and it reflects in his book.

Worth the read

Always interested in navy and flying stories having worked on carrier flight decks in the Tonkin gulf during Viet Nam

Had the pleasure of serving with Gil during his D/H tour in VA-147. He is one "Great American." Thanks Boss!

Captain Rud was my Commanding Officer on the USS Constellation (CV-64). I enjoyed understanding where he came from.