Every once in awhile I come across stories that seem especially fitting based on the topics we are discussing in history class. CNN has published an excellent story I'd like you to read and give your reaction. What do you think about the events and the effect on the two men? You also must research one of the other similar events referenced in the story and share what you find (make sure you cite your sources!).
I hope you find interesting history to report! Make sure you follow all the requirements for these assignments.
I I think that this story is a great example of how we all have morals and knowing of what is right and wrong. This story is a very clear example of Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Clearly the German pilot although he may not have been a Christian god planed morals in us when we were created. As showed by this amazing story. Even the world’s biggest enemies can help each other out when they are in need. I think these events are very rare and would be even more unlikely now days then it would be then because our culture has grown so selfish. Which is a very bad thing that needs to thing . The effect that this event had on the two men is amazing because once extreme enemies that were at war with each other killing each other’s friends. With no intent to save the other one. Ones morals caught hold of him and he decided to help the other one out and it had amazing effects on the two men and their families. They were lifelong friends. That went fishing together and did everything as if they were never enemies . this could also be used as an example for what God did for us he forgave us even though he had no reason to just like this german pilot had no reason to help this American pilot.
ReplyDeleteThe event that took place was quite amazing to me. The fact that a German pilot would do that, knowing there could be consequences really showed how unselfish he was. Who would have known that by doing that good deed, they would be lifelong friends in the future. In the article there was another story about a German who had mercy on the other plane. Stigler was a great fighter pilot, who was just one ace away from getting Germany’s highest award , The Knight’s Cross. Stigler was on a German airbase standing by his plane when he heard a bomb engine that seemed really close to the ground. At once he got into his plane and took off. He was out for revenge, which makes the story so important. His brother had been killed earlier in the war by American pilots. After noticing that the plane didn’t have guns and there were injured men on board, he pulled his finger off the trigger and didn’t fire. He didn’t shoot because it would have been considered murder. He then led the American plane across the North Sea in a formation so that the Germans wouldn’t shoot the plane from the ground. In Nazi Germany, it would take a lot to do something like this knowing that you could be killed because you spared other men’s lives. In his situation it would have been a hard choice, especially because he was so close to winning The Knight’s Cross, but he did the right thing by following the rules.
ReplyDeleteGood job on your assignment this week Summer! You made some excellent points in it. I can tell that you really tired this week. Your essay really kept me interested!
DeleteThis has to be one of my favorite news articles that I have ever read. The reason being is because find World War 2 history very fascinating. This story is just showing the great honor shown between both sides of the war. These events defiantly change the two men involved. Brown the American pilot of the B-17 bomber new that Stigler the Ace German pilot could have not only shot down his damaged plane but also receives one of the most distinguished medals that you can earn. But Stigler was a man of honor. He followed something known as the warrior’s code. He actually helps his enemy escape because he was not fit to fight. This shows true honor and brown knows it. Stigler for the rest of his life wondered what happened to that pilot that saved. Brown later on in life put an ad in German newspaper and shortly after received a letter from Stigler! The two soon became friends and did all kinds of things together like fishing and long road trips together to other WW2 reunions. This is not the only story of chivalry during WW2. Another instance was when a German U-boat captain thought he was destroying a war sip when it actually turned out to be a passenger ship. Disregarding all orders he had all his men scramble to help all the civilians in the water into life boats. He also called for rescue ships to come help. This captain’s story didn’t have such a happy ending. In just a year after the captain was killed after ha US plane sunk hid submarine.
ReplyDeleteGood essay, Hunter. I thought that your essay was written very well and I could tell that you really enjoyed reading the article. I also really enjoyed the additional story about the German U-boat captain who ignored his orders when he found out that a ship he was about to sink was a passenger ship.
DeleteI actually enjoyed this weeks history assignment, and reading the touching article on the CNN website. What that German pilot did that day was very Christlike and heroic. He spared those peoples lives when it would've been easier just to kill them. He wasn't just any pilot though. He was an ace, and with one more he would win an amazing award, The Knights Cross. It took some serious compassion not to shoot this plane down. In Germany, If you did this, you could've been executed if someone reported you! But instead of doing what people told him to do, he did what he believed in his heart was the right thing to do. Killing those people would have been murder. The end of this story actually made me tear up. They met, and then became very close friends. Even their families became friends. It was a miracle that Brown survived, and that they later found each other. It was truly on of those "God moments" where you just know that it was all because of him that this happened. You just know that he was the one that stopped Franz from shooting because he had a plan for both of the mens' lives. If Franz were to have fired, Brown would be dead, he wouldn't have children or a family, and Franz wouldn't have that best friend that he needed all those years later. I think Franz gave Brown the best Christmas present ever. He even gave himself a present by sparing this guy's life.
ReplyDeleteGood Job!! on your assignment Lexie, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the German pilot and the Knights cross! you really helped me understand these topics a lot better than I did before!
DeleteThat was a really good essay L Turps! That definitely was a God moment because both men went on to make a huge impact.
DeleteGood job this week LT! I really enjoyed your essay! It was nice to read your perspective on the German pilot and Knights. You did really well.
DeleteI really enjoyed this story and this assignment, this is a very interesting and touching story, The German pilot was an amazing person!! He was an unselfish man with great morals and ethics, I have been learning in Economics this week about Ethics and moral truths, the definition for Ethics is "the way things ought to be". to sum it up ethics is when you know what right and whats wrong and you do what is right, and the reason I am explaining what ethics is because I think that German pilot really embraces and shows us what ethics is, he was an incredible human being who knew what was right and what was wrong. The Knight’s Cross. Stigler was on a German airbase standing by his plane when he heard a bomb engine that he thought was close to the ground. he got into his plane and took off. this is very interesting and important story, I really enjoyed reading it, there is so much to say about it that words cant define how incredible this story really is we all could learn some very valuable lessons from this story concerning doing whats right and following rules.
ReplyDeleteGood essay Elizabeth. I liked how you pointed out ethics because you're right he did have to have some ethics to spare that plane.
Deletegreat job on your essay, elizabeth! you had some really good information and really key points from this article that i didn't even consider after reading the report. i also agree that this story is very important and interesting.
DeleteThe story that I have read on the CNN website really stuck me for I mentioned earlier in class this week that my grandpas brother had served in WW2 and I and my parents have unfortunally never have been able to meet him. He was a pilot that got shot down in war that’s really all I know about him but to here of this story really made me think of my family in a completely different way for the first time in my life I was able to ask my grandpa what his brother was like. I really enjoyed this story not only for the historical values to it but the moral values to it even more and I was able to learn about a piece of my family I had never gotten to know about before in my life
ReplyDeleteI really liked this weeks assignment. I thought it was very educationational and interesting. I think that there is a lesson to learn from this story by every person. The German pilot showed such great christian charictar and selflessness, its truely amazing. This great hero of a pilot was an ace. An ace is a pilot who has five kills. This German pilot decided to have mercey on the enimies and not kill them. This pilot noticed that there was an injured man on the plane and the enemy didn’t have weapons so he let the ememy flyer go. Who would have known that this generous act would end, years later they would meet, face to face, and become great friends, even the two mens familys became great, life long friends. Not shooting this plane was a a serious risk. In Germany if you did this you would be executed if reported. If this German pilot had shot this plane down he could have recived a very high award called the knights cross, but he didn’t, he listened to his conscience. God works in such mysterious ways some times. This German pilot should have listened to all the people around him telling him what to do, but instead he listened to his heart. God told that man not to shoot that plane down and he listened. How amazing is that? I personally learned a lot about this selfless act, I am very glad Mr. Akers had us read this article.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your essay this week Kiersten! I can tell that you put a lot of effort into this. You made several great points in your essay and I can see that you really liked this. Keep up da good work!
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ReplyDeleteThis weeks assignment is very interesting. What happened in 1943 was nothing short of a miracle. An American pilot found himself flying as a human target. His airplane had just been attacked and it had received much damage and also killed many members of the plane. He and his co-pilot were nervous enough when they spotted a German plane hovering just three feet above their plane. All they could think about was that this was the end, his first mission in World War II was going to be his last and at Christmas too, but that didn't happen. The German pilot was an ace and could have shot the American pilot down easily, but he didn't do it. Something out of the ordinary occurred, the German flying the plane had a change of heart. He decided not to shoot. Later, the American pilot decided to meet up with the man that chose to spare his life. The German pilot could have recieved the Knight's Cross award if he had shot the American pilot down, but God had different plan. Now, what could have been a death and an award turned into a life long friendship between two different men and two different sides. Seal Team 6 was mentioned in the story because they were responsible for capturing Osama bin Laden. Seal Team 6 worked long and hard to capture Osama bin Laden. They were very inspiring and great fighters against terrorism. This has been a very interesting and inspiring assignment.
Good essay, Lydia. Your essay was very well written and informative. I think it great how this German ace was willing to give up the most prestigious award to spare the life of an American pilot with a broken plane. I also thought it was interesting how you mentioned Seal Team 6.
DeleteWorld War II is undoubtedly my favorite area of history. It fascinates me to hear about both sides of the war and I felt like the article did an amazing job of depicting a story of two very honorable men. My mind is very much boggled by most aspects of WWII and this is a new one for it to be boggled by. I had honestly never realized that there had to have been times where people on both sides were so tired of fighting or just had such a good heart they were willing to spare their enemy for no reason other than it was the honorable thing to do. With so much war being fought from an office on the other side of the world with a remote or a computer, mouse, and key board I don’t know that this kind of honor is so relevant any more simply because you aren’t going to think about someone else’s wife, children, brothers, sisters, or parents if you can’t even see them. It’s hard to feel for someone you can’t see and though I don’t feel like the soldiers on the ground have lost this code of honor I do feel like it won’t be so common anymore. War is an ugly thing no matter how it’s fought though and I hope that there is never a day where soldiers are so disconnected that they can kill or do all sorts of horrific things without thinking about it. That will be a sad and scary day to see.
ReplyDeleteFantastic job on your report Allisha! You did a great job of answering the questions asked and tying together the events to modern day warfare. I agree with you that courageous and honorable acts like this one will be less evident and noticeable with all of these computerized missions taking place. I also find World War II as being very unique and interesting. By seeing everything that occurred during this time period, it really affects people especially if they had a family member fighting in the war at that time. Again, awesome job!
DeleteWar and chivalry do not always go together, but at one time, chivalry was the code for war. This week’s assignment was to report an article about a story of chivalry in World War II. The article tells the story of German flying ace Franz Stigler who decided not to shoot down an American Charles Brown. I am amazed at the kindness that this German showed to his enemy. I think that it is amazing how not only this man was our enemy, but he was fighting for a country led by the extremely evil Adolf Hitler. Hearing this story really reminds me of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and how one man was taken care of by his traditional enemy. This is one of the great stories of fighting by “The Warriors’ Code,” fighting by traditional, unwritten rules that used to be the standard, what was expected , but now is hard to find anyone use anywhere. I think it is amazing that this German flying ace risked being in big trouble and not being able win a prestigious award to fight “By the Code.” I wish that we saw more of this kind of courtesy and fighting “By the Code” nowadays, but I highly doubt we will ever see anything like this.
ReplyDeleteFor my other story I had to report on, I chose to write about is a story of a Union Officer who gave a mortal wound to a Confederate officer, instead of leaving him, of finishing him the Union Officer stayed with the Southern Officer and comforted him, Sang hymns with him, and prayed with him.
Nice work on your essay Bobby! You not only answered the questions fully, but your answers were very well thought out. I like how you compared the story of German fighter, Lt. Franz Stigler and American pilot, Charles Brown to the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. Great acts like this one are courageous and unforgettable.
DeleteWhen I read this story, I was completely blown away. People don’t normally see instances like this one, where enemy pilots were caring toward each other. The story of Charles Brown and Lt. Franz Stigler is breathtaking. While Charles Brown, a 21 year old farm boy from Virginia and US B-17 pilot during World War II, was taking his first combat mission of flying through the skies above Germany he was scared to death. The skin of his plane was ripped away by the shells of missiles that had been shot at it by the Germans. The gunman from the rear of the military plane had already been killed, and many of the other crew members were severely wounded. Just when Brown thought things couldn’t get any worse, he saw a German ace (fighter pilot) about to attack from behind. After a few minutes, the pilot, Lt. Franz Stigler, was flying across from Brown. Once Lt. Stigler saw young Charles Brown trembling with fear, he nodded and flue on in front of him to act as an escort to the base. One minute Brown thought he was going to die, the next he was being helped from an enemy soldier! Needless to say, Brown was extremely relieved and grateful. It wasn’t until nearly 50 years later that Brown was able to truly thank Lt. Stigler for his sincere act.
ReplyDeleteAnother story mentioned in the article was about American Commander Harold Moore during battle of Ia Drang (the first major conflict of the Vietnam War). In 1965, 79 men of Moore were killed by the North Vietnamese. In 1993, Moore with some of the soldiers returned to Vietnam on the battlefield to meet their enemies. When they got there, both sides were filled with joy and kindness toward each other. They then prayed and talked about their experiences together. The film "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young" was made about this incredible and inspiring incidence.
http://www.enotes.com/we-were-soldiers-once-young-salem/we-were-soldiers-once-young-0080500379
great job on your assignment, sarah! i could tell that you put a lot of effort into writing this essay. you included several valuable points that really showed what an amazing story this really is!
DeleteSarah, you did a really great job on your assignment! You really took the time to write this and you out a lot of heart into it. Good job.
DeleteWhen I read this story for the assignment this week, I was completely shocked that this would actually happen. Something like this is not usually familiar in such an intense war such as World War II. Charles Brown had such an unusual, yet simple connection with an injured, lone German pilot fighter named Stigler. Instead of Stigler pointing his gun and attacking the plane, he simply nodded. Although this story may seem very vague, simple, and not important, it is because it's the little things such as one nod between opposing forces that change the course of these hard-fought wars. Adam Makos stated, "The war left them in turmoil. When they found each other, they found peace." This story isn't completely unusual, however. In the Civil War, the Unions and Confederates helped and aided each other in many instances. Also, British and German troops came together for post-war reunions. Many even vacationed together after World War II. Countries in war are so focused on their conflicts with each other that they deflate their chivalry for one another. Franz Stigler later viewed Charles Brown as his brother. He thanked him in a book that was retrieved by Makos (previously mentioned). He read an excerpt that said Franz had lost his brother in trying to save a dead plane. Every man is a brother in The Lord which means that they all deserve respect to one another. I hope that instances such as the one between these two brave men continue through wars in the present and also the future
ReplyDelete“In many ways, a soldier feels more of a bond with the enemy they're fighting than with the countrymen back home. The enemy they're fighting is equally risking death.”
ReplyDeleteSteven Pressfield, author of "The Warrior Ethos"
The story was very touching. As I read about the two pilots, one German and one American, I thought about the code the story talks about. I understand the code to say that even in war; we cannot do things that make us lose our soul. War is about a lot of things. Soldiers fight for a lot of reasons, mostly to defend their country and family. Fighting according to the warrior’s code means we cannot murder, but that a warrior fights with honor and when he can, he shows compassion. That is what the German pilot did. When he saw the condition of the airplane and the soldiers inside, he decided that his honor would not let him fire on them, but he helped them. This code is all over television. If a gun is pulled on someone without a weapon, the unarmed person always tells them they can’t shoot an unarmed man.
Author Daniel Rolf tells of Confederate and Union soldiers that held each other as they died and returned the dead’s belongings to their families. I think compassion and seeing how all humans are alike is what makes this story a good one. And from this story I think we can learn to have a little bit more compassion on people, just in our daily lives.
This story just goes to show that just because they are fighting in a war, they are people just like us. They are fighting to stay alive even if it means consequences. The German soldier must have known and seen the fear in the two American men. A lot of people see soldiers in war as bloodthirsty and cold hearted people, but it is not true in all cases. The German bomber could have easily took down the already crippled American bomber, but spared them. It says that Stigler was an ace, and one more kill would earn him the German highest award for valor, The Knight’s Cross. Originally he chased after the American bomber for revenge, after his brother August was killed earlier. When he realized that the American bomber plane was badly damaged and they were not planning to fire at him, he helped them fly to safety. If anyone caught and reported him, he could have risked death from the Nazi army. I think it is amazing that they met each other years later and reminisce. Another story mentioned was Harold Moore Jr. He was a U.S. Army colonel in the Vietnam War. He led one of the first major battles in the war. During war in 1965, Moore lost 79 soldiers against a stronger North Vietnamese army. Later in 1993, he and several other soldiers traveled to Vietnam once again to meet the army they fought against. They prayed with arms around each other’s shoulders, and told stories. When An died, Moore visited his house, and saw his wristband on a display shelf. This wristband was given to him to show friendship.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your essay, Patricia! Your essay was written well and full of good information. I liked how you mentioned the wristband that symbolized friendship after the death of Moore. Again, great job on your essay!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your essay, Bobby! Your essay was full of information and written very well. I liked how you mentioned war chivalry. Again, great job on your essay!
Great job on your essay, Sara! Your essay was full of information and written well. I liked how you mentioned the movies that were made in honor of this incredible event. Again, great job on your essay!
Great job on your essay, Allisha! It was full of good information and written well. I liked how you mentioned how today soldiers are disconnected with those who they kill and so even though soldiers may still have the same code, they may not have a chance to use it as often. Again, great job on your essay!
To start out my essay, according to the Webster’s Dictionary, war is a prolonged conflict that is carried out by states and other organizations. Wars are not a pretty sight, but sometimes they are needed. Many people sacrifice their lives for war and freedom for their country like ours. It is amazing to me that the German pilot had mercy and did not kill the American. It would be difficult in all aspects to make a huge decision, but also he also made a huge impact. Stigler had a brother that was killed and in the essay it said that for what he did, by not killing the American, he could and probably would have been shot or killed himself because he didn’t follow that war “rules.” The story went on and explained a bond and a bond is being joined together or being unified. And in the story it talked about Stigler remembering and seeing the pictures of a mother and children, or hearing the moans and hurts from the wounds and the hurt people who was shot and or killed or even smelling the freshly killed bodies. It “softens” the heart a little and causes people to feel sorry and have mercy just like Stigler did. The war that these men fought in was a hard intense war. To conclude I saw this quote that was interesting to me, “You follow the rules of war for you, not your enemy. You fight by rules to keep your humanity.”
ReplyDeletePatricia Smith- Great Job on your essay! I loved reading about how Stigler could have gotten the highest title for being who he was! Your essay was very informative and well written! It is interesting to me about being the highest and what a sacrifice he did to give up that big title. Great Job on it!
ReplyDeleteBobby Hekle- Awesome Job on your essay!! I thought it was well-written. I love how you said that chivalry and war doesn’t always go together. Chivalry is not being promoted into today’s society and especially not in war! Great job on your essay!!
Allisha Turpin- You did great on your essay! I thought it was informative and I felt you put your heart into it. It is fascinating to me that there was a point in time where their hearts were softened and they you reconsidering! Great job on your essay though!
Homework 2 – Make-up work
ReplyDeleteFor this week’s assignment we read a very interesting story about a pilot farm boy from Virginia who was flying on his very first assignment in World War2. This story really affected me because there is such a stigma of how soldiers are so different, but in reality they are actually just regular people like us who felt the call to be brave enough to defend our country- no matter the sacrifice. These two novice pilots were involved in something that- like one of my peers said- was nothing short of a miracle. When they looked up they noticed an enemy or German plane in the perfect place to kill them. However, the German pilot didn’t pull the trigger, but simply nodded at them. This is something you definitely don’t hear of happening especially during such volatile war times. As I read on, it said that the German pilot had killed the two American pilots he would have been awards the Knight’ Cross (a very prestigious honor) but thankfully the pilot didn’t and we have such an amazing story to learn about in history. SEAL team 6 was mentioned in the story we read as well. This courageous team was responsible for the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden. These brave people risked their lives to capture a wanted fugitive who had caused so much harm and turmoil to not only our country, but others as well. Overall, I learned a lot from this very interesting story.
Thank you,
Rebecca Dunmore
Homework 2- Make up work
ReplyDeleteLydia Ramsey- I really enjoyed reading your essay for this week’s assignment. It was very well written, concise, and full of interesting information. It is truly amazing how these events in history played out. Overall I thought your essay was really great as always. Great job.
Patricia Smith- I also really enjoyed reading your essay for this week’s assignment as well. I thought again it was really interesting to see your point of view on the topic and you could tell you out a lot of thought into the essay. Overall, great job on your essay as usual.
Sarah Flinchum- I also really enjoyed reading your essay for this week’s assignment. Again, as usual it was very well written and very informative. I could really tell how much effort you put into this essay. Overall, I thought you did a really great job!
Thank you,
Rebecca Dunmore