Charlie Brown of Weston flew B-17 bombers in World War II. On a mission in 1943, his badly damaged plane was attacked, and most of his crew were wounded.

German pilot Franz Stigler was sent to shoot them down. But after seeing the injured crew, he chose not to fire. Instead, he flew beside the bomber to protect it, saluted, and returned to Germany.

Years later, in 1990, the two men reconnected and became close friends. They shared their story together until both passed away in 2008, just months apart.