Open letter to Pete Haggis, I mean Pete Hegseth:

Hey, Pete. I know you like shooting boats in the water and also the survivors in the water.

I suggest you read about Franz Stigler. He is best known for his role in a December 1943 incident in which he spared the crew of a severely damaged American B-17 bomber. He escorted the plane to safety over enemy lines. The story was kept secret for many years, but in 1990, the two pilots finally reunited and were close friends until their deaths in 2008. Stigler died in Canada, where he moved after the war.

Stigler did not shoot the B-17 bomber because he thought of something his commander told the pilots: “If I hear of one of you shooting a man in a parachute, I’ll shoot you myself.”

I wonder if that also applies to men clinging to a damaged boat.

Sal Greco

Hampton

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