On January 23, 1943, a B-24 Liberator and its crew of ten men disappeared without a trace in New Guinea, leaving ten families wounded permanently and without closure. Now, after almost 80 years of silence, using long-forgotten letters and dusty photographs from another era, the lives and loves of these ten men are brought to life on the pages of "The All-American Crew."
They did not intend to be heroes and would not welcome the description. They were the sons of farmers, oil company engineers, cotton brokers, garment industry workers, and Chinese laundrymen. Many were descendants of the oldest families in America, who first set foot on the soil of Colonial Virginia in the 1600s. Others came from families that migrated to America in the 1800s from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Austria, and China during the tremendous immigration wave that built America. In truth, this group of young men could only have been formed in America. They were the best that America had to offer. Each was willing to sacrifice everything for the country he loved, driven by a patriotic fervor that was only matched by his love of flying.
"The All-American Crew" is based upon a true story. Stanley's transformation from a Chinese American boy, not yet old enough to vote or drink beer, into a B-24 Liberator nose gunner is set against the lives of the other nine American men, who are his crew members. Along the way, Stanley experiences loneliness, racism, his first beer, first romance, and the horrors of war, themes that are as relevant today as they were 80 years ago.
Russell Low is a physician with a passion for discovery and storytelling. His discoveries in the medical field have changed the way that his colleagues worldwide practice medicine and image disease. Discovery of his own roots began 30 years ago through the stories of his parents and their siblings. Growing up in Central California, more American than Chinese, his connection to Chinese culture and history was limited and incomplete.
Russell Low's most recent novel "The All-American Crew" explores how Ah Ying's "Three Coins" created ripples that led to her grandsons' heroic exploits as part of the "Greatest Generation" during World War II. Celebrating American diversity and ideals of honor, bravery, and freedom, The All-American Crew is a magnificent true story of men at war.
Discovering the 1903 Hong family photograph among the belongings of 100-year-old great Uncle Kim sparked a decades-long search for the stories behind the photograph. These are the stories presented in Three Coins. In his searches, Russell came across a 130-year-old newspaper notice titled “Villainous-looking Chinese after a Chinese Girl.” In the article, he recognized his great-grandparents’ names, but the romantic drama it uncovered shook the core of his family’s belief in who they are and how they came to be Americans. Russell frequently lectures on Chinese-American history, and his family’s story has been featured on the History Channel, National Public Radio, the Voice of America, and the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
Russell lives with his wife Carolyn Hesse-Low, an avid and well-known plein air artist, in La Jolla, California where they raised their two sons Ryan and Robert.
