The Warrior Spirit

Louis DeFrancesco

YOU WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED to find a more iconic warrior figure in history than the fighter ace—except maybe commanding generals or Old West gunfighters. The difference is that all of the aces have lived in the past century and some still walk among us. Their status is usually defined by enemy aircraft destroyed but, when you go deeper, it’s apparent there is much more to the man than just aerial victories. Take for example Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, one of the RAF’s top fighter aces of World War II with 20 confirmed kills. His ace status is known to many but besides his combat accomplishments, he had to continually overcome unimaginable adversity: debilitating leg injuries, a fanatical fight to regain his flying status, exhaustive and perilous dogfights during the…

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Flight Journal (Digital) - 1 Issue, July/August 2024

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