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chong
05-24-2009, 11:54 PM
Have a Great Memorial Day Everyone!!!! Be careful if you're traveling.

Here's a heart warming story! I choked several times when my wife asked me to read it to her out loud.
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GREAT STORY

Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up... It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize that there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it. Now read the story below. I think you'll be surprised...

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17668&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17668&ppuser=567)



Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.



After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.



Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.



BF-109 Pilot Franz Stigler ___ B-17Pilot Charlie Brown.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17670 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17671&ppuser=567)____ http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17669 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17670&ppuser=567)



Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe. When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.



More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.



They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.

(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17671 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17668&ppuser=567)



When asked why he didn't shoot them down, Stigler later said, “I didn't have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.”

Both men died in 2008.


This is a true story! snopes.com: Charlie Brown (http://www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp)


THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN THERE WAS HONOR IN BEING A WARRIOR... THEY PROUDLY WORE UNIFORMS, AND THEY DIDN'T HIDE IN AMBUSH INSIDE A MOSQUE, OR BEHIND WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOR DID THEY USE MENTALLY RETARDED WOMEN AS SUICIDE BOMBERS TO TARGET AND KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS... HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED...

bencelest
05-25-2009, 12:00 AM
THat was a heart-warming story Chong.
Thank you for letting us know.

harveyc
05-25-2009, 02:59 AM
Thanks, Chong, for both the story and your own service!

Harvey

Bob
05-25-2009, 08:06 AM
"THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN THERE WAS HONOR IN BEING A WARRIOR... THEY PROUDLY WORE UNIFORMS, AND THEY DIDN'T HIDE IN AMBUSH INSIDE A MOSQUE, OR BEHIND WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOR DID THEY USE MENTALLY RETARDED WOMEN AS SUICIDE BOMBERS TO TARGET AND KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS... HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED..."

Yup, not for the better.

Thanks for posting the true spirit of memorial day. My father was in the Navy in WWII and didn't like to talk about it much till he was close to dying. I was always puzzled why he didn't hate the Japanese. I get it now.

Bananaman88
05-25-2009, 02:12 PM
Thanks to all the brave men and women of the past and the present who do our country proud every single day. Have a great holiday everyone!

john_ny
05-25-2009, 02:32 PM
Thanks for a very touching story.

John Johnson, USNR ret.

saltydad
05-25-2009, 02:39 PM
Thanks for the posting Chong. I would like to add this post, so appropriate for today.

National Memorial Day Concert . Taps Performance | PBS (http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/video/vid_taps.html)

Caloosamusa
05-25-2009, 04:22 PM
Thank you Chong for your service to our country, and for the story. Which service were you in? Best wishes!!! :2239:

Caloosamusa
05-25-2009, 04:26 PM
:2200: Best wishes to all Veterans, especially my father, Great Grandfather and Veterans who use this site!!! Best wishes!!! :2239:

Chironex
05-26-2009, 12:56 AM
Salute!

chong
05-26-2009, 01:59 AM
Thank you Chong for your service to our country, and for the story. Which service were you in? Best wishes!!! :2239:

I apologize if you have the impression that I served in the military here. Although when I was in the Philippines, I was a non-active Reserved Officer in the Philippine Navy. I did apply to the US Air Force OCS in TX, back in 1971, and passed all the preliminary requirements but was declined after the recruiters saw that I was not yet a citizen. I was one year shy of being eligible for citizenship, and I thought that since I could be a citizen before I graduated, that I would be eligible. It was my Dad who was a WWII vet with the US Armed Forces in the Far East, and was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. And one of my sons was a Scout, both with the 82nd Airborne during the Panama Campaign, and with the 3rd Armored Division during Desert Storm. My humble service is only as a volunteer with our local VFW Post.

Caloosamusa
05-26-2009, 06:55 AM
We thank you and may God bless you and your family for your "humble" service. Best wishes!!! :2239:

damaclese
05-26-2009, 04:39 PM
Thank you chone for sharing that hart felt and truly heroic story of honer among men. I salute are failing wither it be from war or other causes. of course i remember always! the ones that have gone before me. Many known and even more Unkonown
Thank You
Paul

alpha010
05-26-2009, 07:54 PM
Thanks for the stary Chong! I sent a salute to my aunt who was the first female Chief Master Sargeant (ret.) of the 910th airlift. My grandfather who was on the USS Missouri, other grandfather vfw WWII purple heart.

saltydad
05-27-2009, 05:52 PM
I apologize if you have the impression that I served in the military here. Although when I was in the Philippines, I was a non-active Reserved Officer in the Philippine Navy. I did apply to the US Air Force OCS in TX, back in 1971, and passed all the preliminary requirements but was declined after the recruiters saw that I was not yet a citizen. I was one year shy of being eligible for citizenship, and I thought that since I could be a citizen before I graduated, that I would be eligible. It was my Dad who was a WWII vet with the US Armed Forces in the Far East, and was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. And one of my sons was a Scout, both with the 82nd Airborne during the Panama Campaign, and with the 3rd Armored Division during Desert Storm. My humble service is only as a volunteer with our local VFW Post.

Chong-knowing all of the volunteer activities you undertake for our vets, and with your family history, never apologize for not being a veteran. As a combat Army medic vet, I hereby invite you into the club as an honorary vet. You get to choose which stripes/branch you want.

Howard

chong
05-27-2009, 07:33 PM
Chong-knowing all of the volunteer activities you undertake for our vets, and with your family history, never apologize for not being a veteran. As a combat Army medic vet, I hereby invite you into the club as an honorary vet. You get to choose which stripes/branch you want.

Howard

Thanks Mr. H!
I truly am in very good company, indeed!!!!

Chong