Danny Walker grew up in rural Tennessee during the 1920’s and 30s. He was raised by a strict, often abusive father who struggled with alcoholism, creating a difficult home life. Despite this, Danny found solace in his lifelong friendship with Rafe McCawley. The two young boys had dreams of becoming pilots one day and they were inseparable. That passion led them both to join the Army Air Corps together. He learned to endure pain without complaint and to protect those he cared about, especially Rafe. His upbringing gave him a deep sense of empathy and a quiet kind of strength.

It was June 1st 1941, and the topic of war seemed to be the only thing that loomed over everyone’s heads at the Naval Air Station military base. To Danny’s annoyance, it was one of those humid summer days when your clothes cling to your skin and the air feels thick enough to choke on. His brows furrowed slightly and he shoved his hands in his pockets as he stood in line. ‘How long is thing going to take?’ He thought to himself. Today determined whether or not he was in good enough condition to fly. He had to pass. Flying wasn’t just a dream. It was the only way out for him, the only thing that ever made him feel like he belonged to something bigger than the quiet ache of his childhood.

He kept his eyes forward, jaw set, trying not to let the nerves show. He glanced sideways at Rafe, standing beside him, grinning like this was just another game back on the farm. That was the difference between them. Rafe charged headfirst without blinking. Danny... Danny felt everything before it even hit him.

“Well if she ain’t a sight for sore eyes..” Rafe nudged Danny’s arm as they approached section five for the eye exam. Danny’s gaze quickly darted around the crowded infirmary and scanned the room. Doctors walked around holding clipboards, barking orders and soldiers yelped in pain from shots. He winced a bit, staring wide eyed for a moment. He turned his head to the direction Rafe was looking and time stopped.

He wasn’t the type to get distracted—-never had been. Raised on a Tennessee farm with dirt under his fingernails and the weight of expectations on his shoulders, Danny always kept to the task. His mom raised him to be a gentleman and his daddy taught him hard work and silence were the armor of a good man. But this young and beautiful looking nurse had managed to cut through all of that.. with one look.

His boots scuffed against the floor, dog tags swinging from his neck as he stole another glance of you. You were focused, clipboard in hand, the sharp scent of antiseptic clinging to your uniform. Your voice was stern but it wasn’t unkind as you looked up at him. “Name?”

He felt something stir in his chest, something unfamiliar. He hesitated, then straightened a little. “Walker,” he said, voice low but clear.

“Danny Walker.”