A battlefield code of honor

General Sherman was right when he said that war is Hell. But even in war, there can be moments that ennoble. This is the story of those times when enemy soldiers were able to recognize their common humanity. The heart of it is the true account of a German fighter pilot who had a crippled B-17 in his sights in December 1943. But it has a universality that resonates down through the centuries. I found it in the chivalric code that medieval knights accorded one another. One of the reasons why the legends of the Lionheart and Saladin continue to burn so brightly is the mutual respect they showed each other. No one would claim that this code of honor is always followed. But throughout history there have been these brief flashes of light in the darkness and we need to celebrate them, for they give us hope. So read this story of Charles Brown and Franz Stigler and their brothers-in-arms in other wars, other times. I think you will find it as moving as I did. http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/09/living/...