A Higher Call

by Adam Makos

Franz’s father gave him a lesson. “Always do the right thing, even if no one sees it.”

“Those odds may make a man want to fight dirty to survive,” Roedel said, squeezing the bunched-up leather gloves in his hands. “But let what I’m about to say to you act as a warning. Honor is everything here.”

“You follow the rules of war for you, not for your enemy,” Roedel said. “You fight by rules to keep your humanity.”

“As soldiers, we must kill or be killed, but once a person enjoys killing, he is lost.

Europe’s Knights had taught Franz Stigler a new code. Their code said to fight with fearlessness and restraint, to celebrate victories not death, and to know when it was time to answer a higher call.

Their message was simple: enemies are better off as friends.