Football Flyboy: First Lt. Bill Cannon, Piloting More than His Own Aircraft

Biographies & Memoirs

synopsis

Synopsis

Does a good man’s life end at his death? The answer for daughter Lisa Reinicke was, “No.” Her father was known by many names: Buster, Bill, Billy, Dad, and the Football Flyboy. His deeds, no matter how small, should be passed down to family, friends, and anyone looking for inspiration, and life-lessons from one who worked, lived and part of the Greatest Generation. The Football Flyboy was young, newlywed and a pilot in WWII. He was a good man. One weekend morning, she determined that his spirit should not stay silent just because his mouth could no longer speak words. “I open my dad’s old air force footlocker - still solid, battleship grey, weathered, and a little rough from travel and age. His name is in white lettering on the front: First Lt William R Cannon.” What she discovered were yellowed envelopes bound in twine - hundreds of them - that her father had written to her mother. Letters written daily during the last year of WWII and received by his bride. Her daily letters disappeared - only three times during the year, did the “mailman” catch up with him and teased with just a few of the hundreds. “Before reaching inside, there was a feeling of the hands of time grabbing onto my heart, knowing that this was such a huge part of not only his life but my mom’s as well.” Meet Bill “Buster” Cannon, the Football Flyboy … a good man with a good life who made a difference.

bio

Author Biography

Lisa Reinicke is the majority holder of Our House Publications and author of 4 published children’s picture books for sale on Amazon and independent book stores. Lisa was honored with the Mom's Choice Gold Award for lifetime literary excellence for her children's book "Wings and Feet in 2017. She is a storyteller and author of 35 children’s stories appearing on local TV shows, elementary schools, and bookstores. The stories have been published in 3 collective recordings for distribution for A Goodnight Sleep Company. She also produced online (virtual) training for service advisors and technicians. Lisa served as head writer and on-camera talent in the videos. Her books are entertaining yet focus on social issues that engage children and parents to discuss. Her four children were all uniquely different ranging from physical differences, adoption, and physiological disorders that lead her following experts in each field to help children overcome the stigma around being different. Lisa passionately works raising money for charities that improve children’s lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

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Author Insight

Dinner with Dad

I can't help but wonder if there wasn't something more to the disrupting call at dinnertime. I know that most families no longer say dinnertime prayers anymore, but just checking in with our Father for one minute at meal time was one minute of communication. My dad wanted nothing more than to hear my voice once a day. Meal time was convenient. He got to hear what I was eating, plus it allowed him to know that I had blessing enough to have food. Dad would laugh when I would tell him what I cooked. That meant that he had done his job well; I was taught how to cook and now knew how to feed my family. Our Father wants nothing more than to hear our voice once a day. To stop. Put the world on hold just for one minute. Be thankful. But- we are too busy- too inconvenienced. Or- maybe we just don't want to talk to Dad. Yes, I believe there was a hidden message in his calls. Again he teaches me, long after he is gone.

Book Excerpt

Football Flyboy: First Lt. Bill Cannon, Piloting More than His Own Aircraft

He also made it a mission to call every night at dinnertime just to see what we were having for dinner. Not because he wanted to know, but because he knew we were eating and he was disrupting it.

That was great fun to him, causing me to get up from the table. He did this up to the day he died. It is one of the things that I still expect to happen at dinner.

Dad’s fear of being a flunky was not warranted.

Here is how the conversation would go and always just as I was about to take my first bite of food:

Me: “Hi, Dad.” (Because I knew it was him)

Dad: “What are you having for dinner?”

Me: “Roast and mashed potatoes.”

Dad: “Cream gravy or brown gravy?”

Me: “Brown, Dad. Why does it matter?”

Dad: “Just wanted to see if you were smart enough to fix brown gravy with a roast.”

Me: “Of course, Dad, there are no pan giblets to make cream gravy with a roast.”

Dad: “OK then.” (Click. He would hang up.)

Football Flyboy: First Lt. Bill Cannon, Piloting More than His Own Aircraft

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Lisa Reinicke

Football Flyboy: First Lt. Bill Cannon, Piloting More than His Own Aircraft

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Dinner with Dad

Book Excerpt

Football Flyboy: First Lt. Bill Cannon, Piloting More than His Own Aircraft

Comment on this Bubble