Bf 109 pilot Franz Stigler and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown's first meeting

LTC Stephen F. Great picture! You at so right about those life and death struggles in the ground. The common combat soldier could not afford to be chivalrous.

GySgt John Olson I am not sure why you down-voted my response.
Chivalry is an ancient military concept. Chivalry is the "combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, especially courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak."
Respecting your adversary is important in direct and close combat. Underestimating your enemy has led to many massacres.
Chivalry among combat aircraft pilots took place in the Great War on many occasions. It was much less common in WWII - although it occurred in Europe and North Africa against the Germans and Italians but rarely occurred in the far east against the Japanese.
The Soviets and Poles showed no mercy towards the Germans and Hungarians they fought.
What do you think? COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx Maj Marty Hogan PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne LTC Bill Koski SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes LTC Wayne Brandon SGT (Join to see) [~211938:SGT Michael Thorin

I believe chivalry is also a modern construct whereby men of good will respect the integrity of fellow professionals. It is a mindset of respect for we are all fellow travelers and so it is unwise to pick at every irritant and grow to understand that as brothers we can get along. Our nations might be at war but that does not give license to kill every possible combatant one can. Chivalry became used in Europe as a way to mitigate the ravages of war so it became obligatory for combatants to leave alone women, gardens, and other civilian targets. The medieval practice became weeded out with the development of greater weapons with the ability to kill at greater distance. The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) witnessed a devastation of Germany only bested by World War 2. Even the carnage of WW1 was left to the battlefields for the most part but the ruthlessness to extinguish enemies brought in poison gas, barbed wire, and the mass use of machine guns. The prior wars of the nineteenth century witnessed that artillery gathered up the most kills. The point of this diatribe is that chivalry is about respect. Respect means to not piss (or worse) where you eat.

SFC Pete Kain It is quite incredible! I am glad they became friends until the end.