German pilot in WWII spared an American B-17 pilot over Germany only to reunite 40 years later

God bless your grandfather. My paternal grandfather was a WW1 vet who served in a unit that shot poison gas. It was dangerous duty that had to be undertaken at night as it was necessary to crawl out into No-Mans-Land to set up what were called “Stokes Mortars’’ as close to the enemy trenches as possible so the gas would be more effective. This meant not wearing a helmet , no rifle or pack, just a pistol,brass knuckles and a knife. Any resistance meant things had to be done quickly and quietly if you know what I mean. And he never talked about any of it, least not to us grandkids. In WW2 my Dad was waiting to be drafted but the war ended before he was called up. A few of my uncles ( my dad’s brothers-in-law) served. One , my late Uncle Fred, saw combat in Europe with the 84th. Inf, Div.during the Battle of the Bulge. He barely made it out of that. He got the ‘’million dollar wound’’ that got him off the battle field and eventually back here in a hospital. Two others were in the Navy, one as a Shore Patrolman and another, my late Uncle Dave served as a gunners mate on the cruiser Santa Fe in the Pacific. He made it through all of that only to be killed in a construction accident after the war, leaving my aunt a widow with four young sons to raise. And my late-father-in-law, “Jack’’ served with the 4th. Marine Division . he survived Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima where he also got the ‘’million dollar wound, a leg wound that got him the Hell out of there.

you put your points elegantly. Enough said.
War is H@#**( as it is said.) Man's inhumanity to man is profusely documented.

I do not excuse the leaders who rallied the worse of mankind to wage war on fellow men.

Man had lost his way because he abandoned God.

The parallels are frightening what is happening in our own country. Twenty years ago I laughed at my friends warnings about the encroachment of a new Evil. I believed in the American Way of Life and the “Idea”.

Well, times have changed, he was proven right. And if History is any indication, then we as a people will see jack boots** in our life-time.

(**or the equivalant)

thanks

Nothing the German Army, Luftwaffe or Kreigsmarine did was moral. NOTHING! Every German soldier, pilot, sailor and Waffen SS man who stood a post, who fought for “Fuhrer und Vaterland’’ made it possible every day, every hour and every minute for your people and millions of others to be shoved into gas chambers. Never forget that!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.