Reviews for All Eternity Lies Before Me
ALL ETERNITY LIES BEFORE ME
HOPE, FAITH, AND LOVE AFTER THE LOSS OF NAVY ALFA FOXTROT 586
BY LOREEN GIBBONS ‧ RELEASE DATE: JAN. 7, 2025
An often-affecting account of a naval tragedy and its aftermath.
In this memoir, Gibbons tells the story of how her husband and other Navy crewmembers faced an emergency when their plane hit a storm off the Soviet coast.
This book presents a detailed retelling of the journey of Navy Alfa Foxtrot 586’s final flight in 1978. The crew was given an intelligence-gathering mission to fly from Adak, Alaska, over international waters “along [a] predefined track that is designed to be far enough out to sea to remain in international airspace, yet close enough to trigger a Soviet response.” ….
Gibbons’ play-by-play of the events of the mission tells of the 13 crewmembers and two guests as the plane hit a storm, and the group leapt into survival mode. The book also specifically offers the first-person recollections of the author herself, who was the wife of mission commander Lt. Cmdr. Jerry Grigsby. After the terrible events unfolded, her story is one of a relatable middle-class suburban life in California turned upside down: “One side of the backyard has a play area for the girls where Jerry had built a playhouse with a Dutch door….Everything, it seems, brings back a memory of Jerry.” The text includes a glossary of naval terms and a collection of pictures of Navy Alfa Foxtrot 586’s crewmembers, their families, and tributes to their service. The narrative, which draws on accounts of relatives of the crewmembers involved, is well-paced and effectively presents enough details to give readers context while avoiding excessive military jargon. It’s a notably emotional story, as well, in how it makes the crewmembers loved ones a key element of the story. Unlike many books about military operations gone wrong, this book goes far beyond the initial tragedy to tackle the realities of people grappling with grief and loss. A helpful bibliography is also included, featuring citations and links.
Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781647428204
Page Count: 312
Publisher: She Writes Press
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Review Program: KIRKUS INDIE
Categories:
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | SURVIVORS & ADVENTURERS | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR |
Endorsements
Finally, I knew LCDR Jerry Grigsby well. His professionalism and courage in carrying out his duties as Aircraft Commander demonstrate his commitment to his men, and his country. Not leaving the sinking plane until he felt that all the crew were safely out was an act of love. I never understood why Jerry didn’t receive the Navy Cross. "
– CDR. Everett Alvarez, USN (Ret), CEO Alvarez IT LLC, US Navy’s First Vietnam POW, Author of Chained Eagle and Code of Conduct
"LCDR Jerry Grigsby was a true military hero, an inspiration to all. Without his superb skills, none of the fifteen crew members would have survived the ditching of Navy Alfa Foxtrot 586. In 1978, Jerry was the only active P-3 pilot in our squadron with prior experience on the Martin P-5M, the Navy’s last flying boat. He knew the extreme winds and waves were not survivable if the ditching had been flown using the rules found in the P-3 flight manual.
The P-3 manual said flying directly into the waves would be like flying into a mountain. In fact, flying into the waves in gale force winds was the only way to survive that day. By flying into the waves, he was also flying into the wind. Jerry’s decision reduced our final landing speed over the water from 115 knots to 70 knots and our wings were level. He also reduced the recommended rate of descent from the manual’s suggested 200 feet per minute to 50 feet per minute. His decisions allowed the entire airframe to absorb the shock of landing at the same time at half the speed.
Sadly, when a military hero dies there are few books written by the surviving spouse or family. I am an avid reader. Both of my parents had Masters Degrees in Library Science. This is, by far, the best book I have ever read from that point-of-view."
– Ed Caylor, Co-Pilot Alfa Foxtrot 586, Senior Surviving Officer, Retired Delta Airlines 767 Captain
"What a spectacular manuscript. I couldn’t put it down! The perspective of the wives and families who are often forgotten is presented in a way that should resonate with those familiar to the heroics of our military families – and to those with very little understanding of how tough even the “good days” are! Your personal account and perspective are absolutely gripping!
My proposed endorsement: “While the story and heroics around Alfa Foxtrot 586 is one that is very familiar to me as a VP-9 alumni and guy who served in the P-3 community for nearly 35-years, the perspective of those Navy wives and families at home is the absolute star of this gripping account. “All Eternity Lies Before Me” is Loreen Gibbons’s gripping personal account. A testament to love…grit…and personal resilience – central to the hero Jerry Grigsby proved to the world himself to be - the same key traits that ground all Navy families.
– Kyle Cozad RADM, USN (Ret) , former Chief Naval Education and Training, President and CEO National Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, author of Relentless Positivity
“A stunning memoir that not only honors servicemen and their sacrifice, but also highlights the extraordinary strength and resilience of a military spouse. Breathtaking in its honesty, Gibbons’s story will stay with you for eternity.”
–Julie Tully, Navy Wife, Author of Dispatches from the Cowgirl
“I included the inspiring story of Alfa Foxtrot 586 in Leading at The Edge, and I was delighted to read Loreen Gibbons account of the years that followed for the surviving crew and their families. She skillfully blends themes of tragedy, love, and remembrance in a compelling narrative.”
–Dennis N. T. Perkins PhD, USMC Company Commander Vietnam, Faculty, Yale School of Management, CEO of Syncretics Group Inc, Author of Leading at The Edge and Into the Storm.
"Americans honor and appreciate military rescue stories. Most involve actions necessary to overcome a determined enemy. But sometimes that enemy can be Mother Nature herself. In this expansive narrative, Loreen Gibbons tells the story of one such rescue, a US Navy P-3 callsign Alfa Foxtrot 586, down in the bitter cold waters of the northern Pacific. With a compelling style, she tells the story from the perspective of the downed crews and then interlaces it with the travail of the families, who wait, hope, and pray. She reminds us that for those who love, time is eternity, and love is the most powerful and still most unknown energy in the world. Bravo Zulu!!"
–Darrel Whitcomb, COL USAF (Ret), Vietnam Forward Air Controller, Author of The Rescue of Bat 21, Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm, Call Sign Dustoff: A History of U.S. Army Aeromedical Evacuation from Conception to Hurricane Katrina, On a Steel Horse I Ride: A History of the MH-53 Helicopters in War and Peace, and Moral Imperative, 1972, Combat Rescue and the End of America's War in Vietnam
“When we can’t be together, hold me in your heart where I will stay forever.”
In October of 1978, in the midst of the Cold War, Lieutenant Commander Jerry Grisby was forced to perform an emergency ditching (landing) in the treacherous and frigid waters of the Bering Strait, which separates the United States and the then Soviet Union. It is a riveting and heart-wrenching story of family, love, loyalty, courage, and great heroism. While the story details a tragic event, it also presents an uplifting account of humanity and decency. Loreen Gibbons has written a brave and beautiful book.
– Mary Tillman – Gold Star mother of Pat Tillman, US Army Ranger, NFL Arizona Cardinal star player killed in Afghanistan, Author of Boots on the Ground by Dusk
“I think the story and the story-telling is brilliant. Congratulations Loreen!”
– Andrew C.A. Jampoler, Captain USN (Ret) Author of ADAK: The Rescue of Alfa Foxtrot 586
"A gripping story about a US Navy plane crash off the coast of Russia back in 1978. A real page turner that highlights the heroic actions of the flight crew, the survival of some of the crew members, and the aftermath of the tragedy. Gibbons takes the reader behind the scenes of her life as a Naval aviator's wife- the stress, the dangers, the sleepless nights, and ultimately her worst fears realized. It is also a story about a second chance at love. A great read!"
– Vicki Cody Author of Fly Safe: Letters from the Gulf War and Reflections form Back Home
