Wow. Awesome WWII pilot interview

[USRanger]

Less than 2 minutes long, but very, very interesting.  A short glimpse of the brutality of war:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8LVlYJ5eJU&feature=related

[infowars]

Oh wow,  that was pretty awesome.  Good find <S>

[curry1]

Pwnt

[GNucks]

Christ, I must say that's pretty sick. I can't and won't judge him for it though. If I saw the enemy murdering my comrades I would probably do the same. But geez... "made mincemeat of him"... I really can't think of what to say about that.

[RichardDickBong]

I would have done the same exact thing. 

[Guppy35]

Christ, I must say that's pretty sick. I can't and won't judge him for it though. If I saw the enemy murdering my comrades I would probably do the same. But geez... "made mincemeat of him"... I really can't think of what to say about that.

Richard Peterson was from Minnesota.  About as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet.  I took flying lessons as a teenager back in the mid 1970s and one day I followed him in to Crystal Airport.  I was quite pleased with myself that I'd flown 'wing' on a real 51 pilot.  I didn't auger either

A clear example of what war really is.  Nothing heroic or glorious about it when you come right down to it.

[GNucks]

Richard Peterson was from Minnesota.  About as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet.  I took flying lessons as a teenager back in the mid 1970s and one day I followed him in to Crystal Airport.  I was quite pleased with myself that I'd flown 'wing' on a real 51 pilot.  I didn't auger either

A clear example of what war really is.  Nothing heroic or glorious about it when you come right down to it.

Well like I said I can't judge him. First because I wasn't there, second because I probably would have done the same.

[MarineUS]

 
awesome find

[AAJagerX]

When it comes down to it, "Do unto others"...   


 

[W7LPNRICK]

I will never again shoot a cartoon parachute again!  well?...... Anyway, if I remember this clip at the time, it will be hard to do with a grin on my face. Very sobering for sure.

[Karnak]

I've seen or read that before.  I can't say I have a problem with what he did in any way.

[Charge]

Somebody did that on a whim and somebody saw it and decided to revenge and again somebody saw it and etc etc etc. There is always excuse and a debate who did it first. Strategically it is of course a valid tactic since if the pilots fall on their own turf they will be flying again the next day. But its up to any soldier to decide where to draw the line personally since in combat situation many such things go unnoticed.

I'd understand if this person told that he shot the enemy down and when he bailed he killed him for what he had done and that's all. Everything extra suggests something else.

-C+

[MarineUS]

I would have done the same

 

[IronDog]

The guy lied!His body langauge and eyes gave it away.Shooting a guy in a parachute is dastardly!It was done,no question there.War brings the worst out of all participants.Bataan death march,Treblinka,Malmadey,Nanking,and I could go on,but you get the idea.A German pilot escorting a wounded Brit plane back to safety.A Japanese pilot not attacking a passenger plane. German medics treating American wounded.These are acts of honor.
ID

[LLogann]

I wouldn't have shot him at all, but I'd have ripped his chute to pieces.  That way he can think about the evil he did and why he is now going to die in about 60 seconds. 

IronDog, you mistake his closure for lying.  That look is because for the last 50 years he's gone over and over it.  Probably woken up with nightmares on more than a few occasions.  Those big eyes while telling that story tells us how much a part of his life that moment became.   

Even when the killing is justified, it takes good people time to learn how to deal.