From Wundery, I'm Mike Corey, and this is against the odds. Over the last three episodes we've told the story of First Lieutenant Leon Crane's

survival in Alaska during the winter of 1943 to 1944.

Leon's plane crashed in a remote area during a cold weather test flight.

He had no gloves, no food, and no shelter.

And yet, he managed to stay alive for nearly three months.

Today we are joined by Washington Post reporter Brian Murphy.

Brian pieced together Leon Crane's story in his book 81 days below zero,

the incredible survival story of a World War II pilot in Alaska's frozen wilderness.

He was also a consultant for us on this series.

Brian Murphy, welcome to Against the Oats.

Pleasure to be here, Mike.

So you're working as a journalist in Baghdad in 2007 when

this story came to your attention. How did you first learn about Leon Crane's

story exactly? I first learned about it from a press release

by the Defense Department. I was working at the time for the Associated Press

covering the war so we were watching various statements from the

DOD and so forth and one came across that said pilot from World War II the

remains of a pilot from World War II,

in turn at Arlington National Cemetery.

And going along, going along at the very bottom of this press release,

as we kind of say in journalism they buried the lead, was a mention

saying pilot Harold Hoskins, was among four people who perished in a plane crash, kind of by the way one guy survived and

...