The 1979 pot plane crash—as it’s come to be known in Charleston, West Virginia—was one of those “you had to be there” moments. Walter Cronkite opened the nightly news with, “You may not call this pot luck.” Locals still refer to the crash to this day.
Author Jerome Lill organized the botched smuggling attempt, bought the DC6 cargo plane, flew it to Colombia, and filled it with 26,000 pounds of pot. Everything went fine until the plane went over the edge of the runway at the Charleston airport.
The crash and subsequent trial make up only a very small part of this riveting book. Jerome’s life in those days was continually awash in international drug smuggling, wild partying, and a lot of profanity (also included in this book).
The essence of the story, though, is Jerome’s long journey from the darkest corners of alcoholism to recovery, lifted by his faith in God and seemingly unlimited second chances. His accounts of surviving the plane crash and countless other exploits are mind-blowing. As Jerome likes to say about his recovery, “If I can do it, anybody can.” There’s always a chance for redemption—a timeless message for us all.
This is a story you will not be able to forget. Jerome Lill's story is authentic and unforgettable. He is simply an inspiration for us all.
