During World War II, a German fighter pilot chose not to shoot down an American B-52 bomber during a battle. The bomber’s American pilot, Charles “Charlie” Brown, always wondered why. More than four decades later, the two would meet again and become friends for several years until they both passed away just months apart.
It was five days before Christmas in 1943. Brown, 21, was piloting a B-52 on his first mission. He was ordered to attack a German fighter plane factory. Brown’s plane, coined “Ye Olde Pub,” was put into lead formation near the site and quickly started taking heavy fire.
