Book Review: Unbreakable Wings by Derek Adametz

The Bottom Line Upfront (BLUF): Grief doesn’t just fade — it weaves itself into memory and how we move forward. You are the one who decides where it takes you.

Executive Summary

Derek Adametz grew up in rural Wisconsin, working on his family’s farm, which shaped his work ethic and roots. His college years exposed him to real adversity before he achieved his dream of becoming a Naval Officer. But soon after finishing Naval Aviation Training, Derek’s life changed forever as he underwent months of cancer treatment that drastically altered his career path. Faced with one challenge after another, Derek’s resilience and mental strength helped him persevere, reach his goals, achieve important career milestones, and build a family he once thought might be impossible. Unbreakable Wings is a story about grief, trauma, and finding a way to move forward with purpose.

The Content

Growing up in rural Wisconsin, the author, Derek Adametz, had an upbringing that was both simple and unique. Simple, like in ‘The Simple Life,’ and unique because most children don’t grow up on or around farms, where the days start long before daylight and end long after the sun sets. Chapter one details Derek’s early years working on his family’s farm and living far from the hustle and bustle of urban America. It’s in the first chapter that readers will gain an appreciation for Derek’s work ethic and get a better understanding of his roots.

In Chapter Two, Derek takes us through his college years, where he was affiliated with the University of Wisconsin’s Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Program, which introduced him to life as an Officer Cadet and future Naval Officer. He also shares the unfortunate news of learning about his parents’ separation, his bout with a punctured lung that could have been catastrophic, his breakup with a childhood sweetheart, and his eventual commissioning. In this chapter, you also learn that despite not playing football for the Badgers, he was just as familiar with their football field.

In Chapter Three, Derek takes readers to Pensacola, Florida, known as the “Home of Naval Aviation,” where he receives his “Up-Chit” to begin flight school. He eventually earns his Aviator wings after rotations through various Naval installations and ultimately joins his first Squadron. As he moves into Chapter Four, you’ll learn about a persistent pain he experienced, which led to a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) from Puerto Rico to Maryland. The chapter goes on to describe painful procedures, his diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and a rigorous chemotherapy regimen. Chapter Four also shares a touching story of a gifted stuffed animal that resembles “Wilson” from a Tom Hanks movie, an encounter with a grandfather in a waiting room who offered Derek a new perspective, the battles with treatments that left his veins inaccessible, and the heartwarming moment of finally entering remission, leaving the hospital, and heading west to the Naval Post-Graduate School.

Chapter Five introduces Derek’s new beginning; his fresh start. After driving across America and visiting long-lost friends, he successfully completes the first quarter of his studies in Monterey, California, while continuing to battle “chemo-brain,” and he regains his ability to resume physical fitness activities. But an answering machine message one day after school led to a call where he learned the unexpected news of his father’s passing, which readers should be warned about — it is mind-numbing to read. As he moves forward, he finishes his first half-ironman in pain and learns something about his resilience while continuing to train for future events. In one particular event, he is captured in a local newspaper with a display of patriotism. In his final days in graduate school, he meets the woman who would eventually become his wife, and after getting cleared to resume flying, they travel across the nation to restart his flying career in Jacksonville, Florida.

The book’s final two chapters guide readers through the rest of Derek’s career as a Naval Aviator, including several promotions, duty stations, deployment experiences, the birth of his two children, and a scare with the Personnel Bureau about his ability to continue flying. These chapters also introduce the idea of advocacy, as Derek relied on it at various points in his Navy career to overcome unlikely odds caused by delays in his cancer treatment, which affected his career progression — something that follows a strict timeline in the Navy. Despite minor, non-severe pains reminding him that his cancer is in remission, Derek moves from one milestone to the next, ultimately reaching the role of Commanding Officer, the most respected achievement for any Naval Officer. Through command, Derek finally realizes his life’s work — though not on the most traditional path — was what brought him to where he deserved to be and served as a reflection of his gratitude for his roots in rural Wisconsin.

Ten insightful quotes from the book

1. On achievement: “No problem is insurmountable with the right tools and the determination to solve it.”

2. On hope: “A glimmer of hope is enough to hold onto, something to fight for, even when you’re the underdog.”

3. On resilience: “No matter how overwhelming the struggle might become, keep pushing forward, no matter what, to keep on keepin’ on.”

4. On beating cancer: “There was no bell to ring, no one to hug, and no triumphant moment to mark the end of my battle.”

5. On projection: “Simply maintain the appearance of positivity and optimism, even during the toughest of times.”

6. On growth: “Surviving cancer had been one of the greatest challenges of my life, but it had also forged a foundation of strength, shaping me into a more resilient leader, listener, and problem solver.”

7. On challenge: “Life throws storms in your path, forces you into uncharted airspace, and sometimes rips away the very things you thought defined you; the key is learning to navigate the turbulence, to stop chasing an illusion of an unattainable perfect future, and to find joy in the moment you’re in.”

8. On fortitude: “Strength isn’t just about survival; it’s about refusing to be defined by anything or anyone but yourself.”

9. On support: “Surround yourself with the ones who show up, the ones who stand beside you in the uncertainty.”

10. On choice: “You are the one who decides who you are; you get to choose what comes next.”

The wrap-up: why you should read Unbreakable Wings

Typically, when an author shares a testimony about adversity, it appears later in the book, deep into the chapters after they have recounted major accomplishments and successes. In *Unbreakable Wings*, however, that adversity hits you, the reader, just as early as it did the author. Here’s why: Derek hadn’t even been commissioned a few short years before his cancer diagnosis, meaning he was in his mid-twenties. Imagine climbing a mountain — like college — and adding in a dose of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), which makes the terrain a little more challenging. Then, after reaching the top despite significant obstacles, like any professional, you face the next mountain, which in Derek’s case was Naval Aviation Training, and you begin climbing that one too. Once you qualify as a Naval Aviator, you immediately start climbing the next mountain — the professional Naval career. Then, just as you start making headway on that mountain, you’re emergency-evacuated from it, only to look at it from afar for years before finally getting the chance to start climbing it all over again from the bottom.

That is Derek’s story; it’s his truth, and it’s filled with resilience. But not just any kind of resilience. It’s about all types of resilience. Some all at once, others over the course of a lifetime’s first trimester. I’m talking about resilience in college, facing family adversity, and medical trauma. Resilience in battling and overcoming cancer through a tough period of solidarity. Resilience in overcoming major career obstacles caused by uncontrollable circumstances, including critics, naysayers, and policies. A resilience that defies the odds again and again, even when Derek himself may have been his own worst enemy. But there’s something deeper within this book, another truth, however, that reached out and grabbed me. It was the realization that Derek, along with every other cancer survivor in the world, not only lives with the pain of that experience but also with the unknowns of the future. And that’s profound.

So, who is the book written for? First, if you’re interested in Naval Aviation and a career as a Navy pilot, this book is for you. At the very least, you’ll learn the importance of career milestones and why managing your destiny is key to success. If you’re college-bound and raised in rural America, wondering how you might fit in at a large university, this book will give you an idea, and it might even encourage you to apply to that university’s ROTC programs. And if you’re facing the tough unknowns of cancer, no matter the stage, let Derek’s story, like many others, offer you a glimmer of hope. He persevered because it was his purpose, just like writing his book. He wrote it for you so that when you think it’s over, and you might reject other notions at face value, you’ll remember that someone like you pushed through. And that’s a powerful testimony to hold on to.

About the book’s author

Derek Adametz was born and raised outside of Madison, in the beautiful state of Wisconsin. A retired Navy Captain and former pilot, Derek’s career, and life, shifted course after a cancer diagnosis. Through years of service and the battles fought both in the air and on the ground, he discovered a deeper story worth telling. His writing explores themes of resilience, transformation, and quiet perseverance. He now lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he continues to write and reflect on the journey that shaped him. Unbreakable Wings is his debut memoir.

Follow Derek Adametz on LinkedIn

Book details

Unbreakable Wings
Publisher: Ballast Books (August 19, 2025)
ISBN-10: 196678628X
ISBN-13: ‎ 978–1966786283

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