There are two intimate scenes between Jack and Fred that take place away from the ship but, like in the old movies, everything fades to black when they hit the sheets.

These are the 1940's, so the feelings that grow between Jack and Fred are kept closely guarded even from each other.

Unlike Fred, Jack fits in with the men and it isn't until much later that he begins to equate his desire for Fred's company and fear of losing him in combat with a more personal attachment. There's more of a friendship than a sexual vibe between them, and Jack prefers to spend time with his men than with her. Jack, on the other hand, is dating a wealthy war widow, and for him it's all about company while on leave. Yet, Fred does everything in his power to get close to Jack, and although it takes him a while to figure it out, it quickly becomes clear that Fred’s crush on his skipper is enormous. But Fred doesn't understand why the other men make such a big deal about women. To fit, Fred follows their lead and has sex with prostitutes, including when he transfers to the VF-20 squadron where he gains the nickname 'Trusty' after lasting 17 minutes and gaining a stud’s reputation. As events unfold and Fred becomes Jack's wingman, for Jack, the trust that develops between them in the skies translates to everyday admiration of a young man whose flying skills highlight personal qualities, such as loyalty, efficiency and an ability to think on his toes, while on the ground.įred is clueless about his sexuality, but knows he’s indifferent to women and doesn’t ‘fit in’ with the other men in his squadron. Trusteau's admiration for Hardigan is immediate and on a grand scale. When Trusteau transfers to the VF-20, the fighting squadron of Air Group Twenty, aboard the fictitious aircraft carrier Constitution, he is an inexperienced aviator and his new skipper Jack Hardigan, a hotshot veteran of Midway with quite a few kills under his belt. Experienced naval combat aviators are scarce with a majority falling under the young and untried-in-battle classification. The Navy is in the midst of reorganizing the fleet and reconfiguring their strategy against the Japanese. Commander Jack Hardigan, USN and Ensign Frederick 'Trusty' Trusteau begins in 1943 toward the end of the Pacific conflict during World War II, after Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway. I began reading Wingmen by Ensan Case on a Saturday afternoon and couldn't put it down until I finished it late the following day.

Wingmen ensan case