I Wanted Wings

A skilled aircraft mechanic and the senior cadet, Al is the stabilizing force among Jeff and Tom. He values duty and honesty, acting to protect Jeff and Carolyn when stakes rise. His loyalty is tested by his past romance with Sally and the moral complexity it brings.

A capable Second Lieutenant whose ambition clashes with duty, leading him to disobey orders. He struggles with relationships with Carolyn and Sally, and his pride makes him vulnerable to scandal. Over the course of the story, his decisions drive the moral arc and courtroom outcome.

Jeff’s fiancée and the story’s moral center, Carolyn represents steadiness and compassion. She accepts Jeff’s proposal, then faces the strains of his infidelity and Sally’s manipulation. Her loyalty and sense of justice influence the relationships around her.

A former flame of Al and Jeff’s romantic rival, Sally hides a complicated past and makes choices that threaten the group's harmony. Her pregnancy fabrication and subsequent crimes set off a chain of events ending in tragedy. She ultimately meets a fatal end in the climactic sequence.

A football standout and Jeff’s friend, Tom embodies youthful bravado. He dies in a training crash while attempting to salvage a dangerous situation, catalyzing a sharp turn in Al’s career and the unit’s future.

The unit commander who demands discipline and is instrumental in Al’s reinstatement. He is authoritative and pragmatic, guiding the unit through crisis even as his own life hangs in peril during the final mission.