Bader is one of my personal heroes, and a story I tell anyone who comes up with a "poor me, what a hard life I had" sob story.

Quote; “Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do this or that. That's nonsense. Make up your mind, you'll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”

Quote; "Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools." 

And one of my favourite chivalry stories of WWII:

Bader was captured by German forces, who treated him with great respect. General Adolf Galland, a German flying ace, notified the British of his damaged leg and offered them safe passage to drop off a replacement. The British responded on 19 August 1941 with the 'Leg Operation'- an RAF bomber was allowed to drop a new prosthetic leg by parachute to St Omer, a Luftwaffe base in occupied France

Your specialist military, sci-fi, historical and real world site.