The 6-year-old boy watched the dirigible appear over his right shoulder and glide toward the mooring mast. Suddenly, the airship began to fall tail first as flames burst out of the great superstructure. Four-and-a-half years later, that same boy watched as airplanes bombed and strafed the naval air station where his father was stationed. Young Frank Madigan witnessed two headline events of the 20th century — the blazing crash of the Hindenburg at Lakehurst, N.J., in May 1937 and the Japanes...