There was, however, a problem:.  Of the original eight pilots assigned to the mission, three had passed away before I could begin my research; among them, the Whizzers operations officer, Captain Fred L. Hillis.  Little was known about Captain Hillis at the time, and most of his fellow pilots recalled only that he was "older and more experienced" than the rest. Was there to be no way to recount the details of Hillis' own story?  For a time, it seemed that there was not.

After the launch of the Stormbirds web site, things began to change.  The site quickly drew the attention of Whizzers' family members scattered throughout the United States, and several contacted me via e-mail.

Within the space of 18 months, I had heard from Ken Holt's son-in-law, Bill Haynes' nephew, and no less than two members of the Hillis clan:  first his oldest daughter, and her son, his eldest grandson.  Through the correspondence that followed, I began to learn more about the man, his wartime exploits, his postwar career, and his enduring legacy.  I came away impressed.  His is a story worth telling. 

Like so many of his generation, Fred Hillis emerged from the poverty of the Depression years, went off to war, and came home to raise his family and make his mark in the business world.  He excelled at every turn, and I am pleased to present this all-too-brief look at an extraordinary man that I never knew:  the late Fred Leroy Hillis.”