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This is a great story of humanity, at a time when humanity was in short supply.
No. 2697: A B-17 Spared
Posted from uh.edu
Aviation
WWII World War Two
Military History
Posted >1 y ago
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I've read the story before in one of the WW2 history mags and it is still great to hear it again. The two pilots have met up on numerous occasions and I believe are still good friends (or were).
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
PO3 Donald Murphy Friends until age took them. Part of what I loved about the shared article was Mr. Stigler's obituary. "They became fast friends -- brothers -- staying in touch until Stigler died at 94. Afterward, one obituary said he was survived by his wife, daughter, and Charlie Brown of Perrine, Florida."
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From a threat perspective, Stigler deduced neither the plane, nor crew were going to attack again. He didn't need to shot down the damaged B-17 for the outcome to be any different.
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
LTC Bill Koski True he didn't need to, but with aerial kills being the benchmark for fighter pilots, he could have simply killed the plane, taken the kill, and improved his kill record. So while you are absolutely right from a threat perspective the B-17 wasn't, from a juicy, easy, kill perspective it was off the charts. That is where the nobility in his actions lies. He had a defenseless enemy and chose humanity over glory.
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