Franz Stigler Is A Shining Example of Humanity #AtoZChallenge

1943, Germany.
Franz Stigler wanted revenge. The World War 2 German ace pilot had lost his older brother to war. He was a kill away from the Knight's Cross, German's highest award for valor. Below his fighter plane, the damaged American bomber sputtered in the sky, an easy target. His hands were on the trigger as he gazed down at his enemy.

The gunner in the plane was dead. Men huddled within were tending to their wounded crewmen. The plane was defenseless and its barely-out-his-teens pilot sat at the cockpit, staring helplessly up at Franz, awaiting his doom. Stigler - who had once studied to be a priest and had killed plenty during the war - said a silent prayer. He then took his fingers off the trigger. Sparing a German enemy during war carried the risk of death. But for Franz, the words of his commanding officer resonated in his head.

"Follow the rules of war for you, not your enemy. You fight by rules to keep your humanity."

Franz Stigler could not bring himself to go against the warrior's code and murder an unarmed enemy. Instead, he nodded to the scared American pilot and then flew in formation beside him so that German anti-aircraft gunners would not shoot the crippled bomber plane. He escorted the pilot to safety, gave one last nod and then flew away.

The 21 year old pilot, Charles Brown would fly more missions before the war ended. He would get married, have children and eventually retire. But the memory of the German who let him live kept coming back to him and so Charles began searching for him, searching through archives, putting out ads and retelling his story to everyone in hopes of finding him.

In 1990, 47 years after the incident, Charles received a letter from Stigler. Retired and in Vancouver, he was happy to know that Charles had survived and done well in life and hoped to meet him the coming year when he arrived in Florida. Charles could not wait though, calling up directories in Vancouver till he got the number before breaking down and crying when he heard - for the first time - the voice of the man who chose to save him.

The two - and their families - did meet the coming year in Florida in a reunion filled with love and joy. They became best friends, going on fishing & road trips, flying cross country to meet each other and telling their stories at schools and veteran reunions.

Charles surprised Stigler by organizing a function where Stigler was the guest of honour, the guests consisting of all the surviving members of that plane and their families. There was not a dry eye as a video played, showing all the faces of the people now alive because of Stigler's single act - children, grandchildren et al.

Franz Stigler and Charles Brown died in 2008, barely months apart at the ages of 92 and 87. Enemies, then friends and finally, as author Makos (who chronicled their story in the book 'A Higher Call') found out, something more.

In a book Stigler gave to Brown before he died, he wrote the following inscription.

In 1940, I lost my only brother as a night fighter. On the 20th of December, 4 days before Christmas, I had the chance to save a B-17 from her destruction, a plane so badly damaged it was a wonder that she was still flying. The pilot, Charlie Brown, is for me, as precious as my brother was.
Thanks Charlie.
Your Brother,
Franz


The video is 11 minutes long and I know you are busy... but I hope you will come back and watch it later (at least the last 5 minutes) to listen to the late Franz & Charles speak from their hearts. 

Why I want you to remember Franz Stigler

There is a code of humanity that must always be in play if we are to survive our own demons. Even during war, the warrior's code exists. Franz was fueled by anger as he rose above the bomber. Yet, in that moment with his hand on the trigger, he chose not to kill a wounded enemy.

He lost everything in the war and had to leave the country of his birth when Germany lost the war. Yet, nearly 5 decades later, that single act of compassion made him a hero, a legend and a role model to soldiers across the world.
And it gave him personally that which he was sure he had lost in the war - a brother for life.  

This is part of my #AtoZChallenge where I will be focusing on Real Life Heroes: Shining Examples of Kindness and Compassion. You can find other real-life heroes here.