Wonderful story. I even got hubby to read it. Thanks again!

I noticed all of that, and the dots were very well connected. The only bit of controversy was that some believe that Von Richtoffen was actually hit by a machine gunner firing from the ground. But as I said . . . that's controversy.

What a pity the story wasn't accepted and filmed. But Hollyweird seems to want fictional drama rather than historical fact. No matter how dramatic the actual historical facts happen to be.

Speaking of FLYBOYS, have you read the book by the same name written by James Bradley? (It was Bradley who wrote Flags Of Our Fathers.) It deals with the fates of nine Navy FLYBOYS who were shot down over Chichi Jima in early 1945 -- during the time the battle for Iwo Jima was going on. Eight of them were killed -- and a couple of them were partially eaten -- the ninth was picked up by an American submarine and later became president.

For those who are fans of horror, this book presents horror in its truest sense . . . real horror . . . horror that actually happened.

Ken V.

Ken, I read a couple of books in the early '70s about the Red Baron. Both authors, independently, made the case, that it was indeed an (Aussie?)machine gunner who brought down the Red Knight of Germany. Books given away long ago, alas, so I can't review their arguments. But so WW One that the British buried Richtoffen with full honors and sent a fast aircraft to drop photos of the ceremony on a German "aerodrome."

Ken, I read a couple of books in the early '70s about the Red Baron. Both authors, independently, made the case, that it was indeed an (Aussie?)machine gunner who brought down the Red Knight of Germany.

I'm aware of that.

Some believe that the fatal shot was made by machinegunner Cedric Popkin of the 24th Australian Machinegun Company. Others believe that the shot was taken by W.J. "Snowy" Evans, a machinegunner with the 53rd battery of the Royal Australian Artillery.

Some knowledgeable people dismiss both of these theories, which are still not officially recognized.

Either way, everything else was right on the money, and to write it differently would have ruined an otherwise excellent story.

Ken V.