July 1939. The world teetered on the brink of war as Hitler menaced Poland. The 11 millionth visitor passed through the turnstiles of the New York World's Fair. Baseball fans still reeled after Lou Gehrig's "luckiest man" speech at Yankee Stadium. But many Americans could think only of Donn Fendler, a 12-year-old boy lost on Mount Katahdin in Maine, the object of a frantic search and rescue operation that dragged on for nine days, monopolizing the radio airwaves and newspaper headlines. He still says he never thought of dying when he lost in the Maine woods. But now, he recognizes that dying is part of life. It happens. Eventually. "When I die, my ashes are going over Mount Katahdin," Fendler said. "My brother said he'd fly or get someone to fly ... Yup, they're going to put me in a bean can."
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