Five Years After Quotes

“Another thank-you goes to Commander Bill Sanders of the Navy, who was one of our country’s top experts on nuclear strategy. A darn good friend and advisor who wrote the afterword of my first book on the subject. We would often joke in a macabre way that no one wants our nightmares, they are simply too scary. When you write about this stuff, you do have to learn balance to lead a good and happy life in spite of the concerns. The next acknowledgment is for Linda Franklin. Yes, the model for my Linda Franklin in the novels, along with her husband, Earl “Ernie” Franklin. Linda’s story is a remarkable one. Born into Southern rural poverty, a kindly aunt took care of her tuition in Vanderbilt, where she earned a degree in mathematics. I recall a dinner with her, dated exactly to July 20th, some years ago. It being July 20th, I raised my glass in a toast to Apollo 11. Linda replied, “I helped write the TLI programs for that.” Me: “You mean the Trans-Lunar Injection math.” And she beamed proudly. Linda spent more than a decade in the 1960s doing the math—not the software, but the actual complex mathematical formulas—for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions that would then be coded. Don’t get it right there, and you don’t have the right software that became the triumphs of those glorious days for NASA. Yes, there was a movie made about it a few years back that featured several African Americans that deserve credit, but Linda was part of that team for ten years as well. Sadly, this is being written in late March of 2023 and by the time it is published, Linda will be gone from this earthly abode. Launch well, Linda, as you head off to the heaven you so richly deserve.”
― William R. Forstchen, Five Years After

“George Noory, another acknowledgment for him, host of the long-running late-night radio show Coast to Coast AM, devoted a program to the memory of Dr. Pry where I shared the microphone. I think both of us were near to tears in remembrance of a true American citizen in a just cause. A thanks as well to former Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, who during his long tenure in Congress tried mightily to raise awareness and legislative action. Thankfully, Roscoe is still with us, but unfortunately is still waiting for action to be taken.”
― William R. Forstchen, Five Years After

“Dr. Peter Pry. I always referred to him as the “Godfather” of this issue. For thirty long and at times bitter years it was Dr. Pry who testified before Congress, to the Pentagon, to any who would listen. It was Peter, more than any other, who inspired me to write One Second After. I’m a novelist; I took the hard science taught by Peter and others and tried to turn it into a tale that above all else would cause an awakening. Dr. Pry passed away several months ago, I fear in part from simply overworking himself in trying to get the word out. I hope my humble efforts were of help to him.”
― William R. Forstchen, Five Years After

“the federal government is failing utterly to take some kind of action to protect our nation from the existential threat to our nation’s security. We currently are spending a trillion dollars on so-called “green energy” but we see nothing being spent to protect the grid from the threat of an EMP attack. The previous administration was at least moving in that direction, acknowledging the threat as real and starting to act. The current administration abandoned those efforts. It is nothing short of criminal to do so.”
― William R. Forstchen, Five Years After