Jim Stallings

Hunters in the Fog: War Diary to Screenplay Jim Stallings

During WWII my father kept a diary during his 300 combat hours and 81 missions as a decorated P-47 fighter pilot in England. This book celebrates and honors my father and mother's participation in that difficult time.

The screenplay Hunters in the Fog looks into the mysteries of luck and fate in war. Why is it certain pilots, regardless of their refined skills in war, fall victim to death, chopped short in youth? My father turns over that question in his diary. He notes the near misses to himself and other pilots, the mysterious accidents, the horror of fiery death and the strange beauty and suspense of aerial warfare. With his advice, and inspired in part by the classic characters of Dumas' The Three Musketeers, we fashioned a similar set of personalities who must survive 300 hours of deadly aerial combat to complete their tour of duty.