Written by Todd DePastino

USAF Master Sergeant Al Claycomb has written five children’s books dealing with life’s big issues: loneliness, loss, faith, and friendship. Al served an astounding 44 years, from 1979 to 2023, working on, then later managing, the mighty Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, the largest aircraft in the world.

But as a young child in school, Al dreamed of becoming a writer. He is now realizing that dream as a children’s book author.

He says his biggest challenge is getting his ideas and strorylines on paper, then to publication, precisely how he envisions them to be. Writing, maybe especially for children’s books, is as arduous as airplane mechanics.  There’s a constant back-and-forth with editors, illustrators, book designers before a book can be shaped into its final form. But Al finds it all worth the wait,

“I don’t want my work to be fast,” he says, “I want it to be timeless.”

Al’s hope is that someone will pick up one of his children’s books 50 years from now and find its message as relevant then and it is now.

In the meantime, he’ll keep his day job as a civilian employee  at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

You can find Al’s books on Amazon and in bookstores near Dover AFB.