Books by Jon Drury

"Astoria is the gateway by the sea, and Portland is the gateway by land. I suspect that Astoria will not be quiet and obscure for long." -George FlavelAstoria, Oregon, owes its existence as much to a little-known ship captain as its namesake, John Jacob Astor. Captain George Flavel happened upon the ramshackle village at the mouth of the Columbia River in the fall of 1849, bringing goods during the California Gold Rush. As he subsequently captained and piloted three different ships along the Pacific coast, he learned that the perilous Columbia River Bar, the "graveyard of the Pacific," barred the entrance to most mariners. Hazards abounded. Tides and currents merged with the river''s flow, storms, and winds to produce towering waves and an ever-shifting bar-a living, breathing peril to lives, shipping, and cargo. But Flavel recognized that a wise and knowledgeable pilot could master this peril and possibly build a career and a future.On the basis of his knowledge and sailing experience, the State of Oregon commissioned Flavel as a pilot. Then appointed harbormaster by Astoria, Flavel and the piloting team he built successfully guided hundreds of ships into the port over more than thirty years. Marrying the daughter of his boardinghouse host, he built businesses on the waterfront and increasingly led in his community and on the city council and school board, and he devoted his personal and professional life to his adopted home.Jon Drury, upon discovering that no book had been written about one of the most influential persons in Astoria''s history, remedies that with this account, which showcases Flavel''s courage, inspiring character, and professional excellence. The Flavel House, a must-see in Astoria, showcases the captain, his career, and the home his family built in the community they loved.

Can I go on? Should I give up? Is there any hope? The world's false yardsticks demean and devastate you. Feelings of insignificance overwhelm you. Daily combat with giants such as fear, rejection, and comparison exhausts you. Lord, I Feel So Small explores twenty battlegrounds of significance to expose the lies that demean, discover the miracle of God's purpose, and equip you for a life of unshakable confidence in God. Lord, I Feel So Small is a book that will speak to anyone who has ever felt . . . unworthy, small and insignificant. Author and pastor, Jon Drury, will lead you out of this wilderness into the bright sunlight of God's amazing purpose and plan for your life . . . Author Karen O'Connor.

Drop into one man’s world of transport flying at the height of the Vietnam War and experience the good, the bad, and the ugly—with character and compassion.Humorous, compassionate, and tragic day-to-day experiences of a transport pilot in combat.When Jon Drury was shipped to Vietnam with 90 percent of his graduating class, he was assigned to the short field C-7A Caribou by De Havilland. His challenging mission carried troops into combat, air dropped live chickens in crates, ferried cows to Special Forces camps, and dodged .50 caliber fire. On the more compassionate side, Jon served the Vietnamese in civic action, drove an ambulance to a free dispensary, and escorted those killed in action on their final journey home.Jon’s style of writing grabs the reader, holds their interest, and makes them want to read more about the deeds of the warriors called up on to fight a long, cruel, and frustrating war . . . Reading the stories brings out his flying skills, human compassion, and faith to a degree one might not expect from a warrior. These elements reflect the skills, passion, determination, and generosity of a man sent to war who found a deeper meaning inside himself than he anticipated.                                                                        —E. Patrick Hanavan Jr., Ph.D.Colonel, USAF (Ret.), Chief Test Pilot, 483 Tactical Airlift Wing, Cam Ranh Bay, RVN, President, the C-7A Caribou Association Heart-stopping combat and risk mixed with incidents of human compassion, history, sorrow, and lessons for life.