From a Wisconsin dairy farm to the battlefields of World War II, from
starting a small post-war business to running an international company,
Ken Dahlberg's life follows the arc of the ''Greatest Generation.'' He
milked cows and shot squirrels as a kid, joined the Army Air Corps at
24, flew cover for the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and shot down 15
German planes to become one of America's few triple aces. He also was
shot down three times, escaped twice and ended the war in a POW camp in
Moosburg, Germany.
The French couple whose estate he parachuted
into the first time he was shot down called him ''a charming American
aviator.'' They feted him in liberated Paris and went on to become
life-long friends. The tank driver who rescued him the second time
reappeared in his life in most unusual circumstances during the
Watergate years.
He returned from the war to start a career in the
electronics industry that would lead to the founding of the Miracle Ear
hearing aid company. A devotee of capitalism and the free-enterprise
system, he is the epitome of the successful entrepreneur. But, he says,
''you have to have a little luck, too.''
The stories he tells in One Step Forward with the help of writers Al Zdon and Warren Mack capture the drive--and the luck--behind this quintessentially American life. REVIEWS:
''This book is outstanding coverage of a pilot who is a very good
friend of mine very outstanding book.'' - Chuck Yeager, Brig. Gen. USAF
(ret.), Chairman, General Chuck Yeager Foundation
''One Step Forward
presents a remarkable portrait of a Minnesotan who became an American
hero. I think of Ken as the protagonist of the Greatest Generation.
This book gives us authentic insight into one man's life as he was
shaped by monumental events and contributed to the transformation of
American life in the 20th century.'' - Nina Archabal, Director
Minnesota Historical Society
''Ken Dahlberg is one of the most
remarkable people I've ever known. From his humble beginnings to WW II
flying ace to entrepreneur extraordinaire, his is an amazing story and
an inspiration to readers to pursue the American dream.'' - Harvey
Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
''I finished One Step Forward
today and was awed. Ken's commitment to the core values of trust and
honesty and his combination of courage, ideas and dreams have led him
to be a successful entrepreneur as well as a wonderful man. He is a
remarkable person who may be measured by both his deeds and his years a
life well lived.'' - Bonnie Dunbar, President & CEO, The Museum of
Flight and retired astronaut
''Reading One Step Forward
is like taking a walk through a true American dream. To read this book
is to understand all that is good about America.'' - Bob MacDonald,
author and founder of LifeUSA
About the Author
Al Zdon is a Minnesota writer and newspaper editor. The author of War Stories, Accounts of Minnesotans Who Defended Their Nation,
he is working on a book about the life of Minnesota pioneer editor and
Civil War hero William Colvill. Zdon has his BA in Journalism and his
MA in Liberal Studies from the University of Minnesota. He is the
editor of the Minnesota Legionnaire newspaper. He presently serves on the Minnesota News Council. Mr. Zdon lives in Moundsview, MN.
Warren
Mack is an attorney with Fredrikson and Byron in Minneapolis. A
longtime friend of Ken Dahlberg, he shares Ken's love for history and
aviation. He lives in Minneapolis, MN.
