An American pilot flying for the British RAF attacked and destroyed a mysterious Nazi train in Northern France prior to the US involvement in WWII. The Spitfire the young Yank was flying was severely damaged, and the pilot was forced to parachute into enemy-controlled territory. French partisans helped the pilot escape through France to Spain while being chased by a Nazi Gestapo colonel who was determined to catch or kill the American.
The pilot lived a long life, and after his passing, his daughter and nephew found his flight logbook that had been mutilated. Thus, a story began of a search for the mystery of the escape and the contemporary international cover-up that ensued.