A Quad City veteran's World War II diaries have come to life through a one-of-a-kind radio program.
Over the past several months, students from St. Ambrose University have worked to create a Veteran's Day radio special from the writings of Ray Walton, calling it "Men with Broken Wings."
Walton was captured after bailing out of his B-24 bomber during a raid on Cologne, Germany, during World War II. While he was a prisoner of war, he kept a journal of his experiences on the insides of Camel and Chesterfield cigarette packs.
"He was just so happy throughout the whole thing. I was expecting something a little bit darker, maybe more sad, but he just had the best outlook that he could," said student Haley Gibbs, who helped write, cast and record the special.
Students say they now feel a connection to Walton, who later finished his education at St. Ambrose.
"Yeah, I almost feel like I was there in the bunks with those guys as they told these stories about how they got captured, or what they were doing in the Army or the Air Force... it's crazy," said senior Alex Burkamper.
"Ray is 100 percent a storyteller. He talks about himself a little bit, but its kinda like he talks about himself in context with other people. He just loves to tell other people's stories," said senior Sophie Foreman.
On Tuesday, Walton's family got an early listen of the broadcast, and said they're happy to have these important stories preserved.
"This is awesome," said son Mike Walton. "They did such a great job with my father's work and getting the story across, and the dedication and work they put in is... we're honored. The whole family is really honored."
The full broadcast of "Men with Broken Wings" will air on November 11, 2015, at 7 p.m. on KALA 88.5 FM.