Colonel Robert O. McCartan, USAF (ret.) “served twenty-eight years in the U.S. Air Force. He amassed more than 5,000 flying hours, including 3,000 in the B-47 bomber. He flew 156 combat missions in Vietnam in the EB-66 aircraft, most of them over North Vietnam. He taught four years at the Air Force Academy, served as an operations staff officer in the Pentagon, and commanded an Air Force wing. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Denver.” Colonel Robert McCartan is the author of Noble Cause: A suspense novel set in the Cold War about the B-47 bomber and the men who flew her.

According to the book description of Noble Cause: A suspense novel set in the Cold War about the B-47 bomber and the men who flew her, “Recoiling from a body blow to his injured shoulder, Air Force Captain Troy Bench crumples to the floor, writhing in pain. He wonders how much longer he can resist the physical and psychological punishment dealt by his Soviet interrogators. He thinks of his family and his Air Force Academy training, and is inspired. But is it too late? Has he already let them down? His mind sinks into despair.

Noble Cause cleverly weaves an intriguing story of a young Strategic Air Command jet bomber crew caught up in a shrewd scheme to deceive the enemy during the harrowing days of the Cold War.”

One reader of Noble Cause: A suspense novel set in the Cold War about the B-47 bomber and the men who flew her said, “Noble Cause was fun to read. It was interesting, and kept me wanting to read more, even though I am not typically interested in "war type" stories. It also gave an interesting insight into the time period of the Cold War and what it was like to be in the air force flying jets at the time. As I was a child during much of the Cold War, I was not really aware of what things were like, so it was interesting to see it from the author's view of the time. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in the book, and felt joy and sorrow as their lives unfolded. I thought the parts where the pregnant woman was repeatedly very understanding of her husband's travels, etc., was a little unrealistic, though that could just be me, and I know they were also different times culturally. Anyway, it was kind of nice to read about and "virtually" live in a society such as the one described in Noble Cause where everyone was so civil and respectful. All in all, an interesting, captivating book which also paints a good picture of what it was like to be a bomber pilot during the Cold War times.”

One reader of Noble Cause: A suspense novel set in the Cold War about the B-47 bomber and the men who flew her said, “Colonel McCartan's many hours in the cockpit of this aircraft bring a lot of credibility to his story. He knows intimately how the airplane functions and handles, and it shows in his writing. His passion for our country, its military's men and women and the brave services they perform, obviously comes from the heart, not merely the writer's pen. It's immeasurably difficult to fake true patriotism.

Col. McCartan knew firsthand the tension of the near-war scenario during the Cuban missile crisis. If you're interested to know what went through the minds of our nuke-bearing pilots as World War III loomed on the horizon, this is a must-read. Troy Bench is the Real Deal. The training and professionalism of these officers radiates throughout the story line. "Where Valor Rests" might have been an alternate title if paying tribute to fallen aviators, but this book is about real live bravery, both in the air and on the ground. It is a convincing and realistic read, right down to the last page. You'll put down the book with a tear in your eye, and a much greater appreciation for those scary events of more than forty years ago.”