Managing Career and Expectations --- Graduating Students

Managing Career & Expectations

- Speech by Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director -Tata Sons …to Graduating students..

 

“There is a Thai saying that experience is a comb which Nature gives to man after he is bald.

 As I grow bald, I would like to share my comb with you.

 

1. Seek out grassroots level experience:

I studied Physics and Engineering at University. A few months before graduation, I appeared for an HLL interview for Computer Traineeship. When asked whether I would consider Marketing instead of Computers, I responded negatively : an engineer to visit grocery shops to sell Dalda or Lifebuoy? Gosh, no way. After I joined the Company and a couple of comfortable weeks in the swanky Head Office, I was given a train ticket to go to Nasik. Would I please meet Mr. Kelkar to whom I would be attached for the next two months? He would teach me to work as a salesman in his territory, which included staying in Kopargaon and Pimpalgaon among other small towns. I was most upset. In a town called Ozhar, I was moving around from shop to shop with a bullock cart full of products and a salesman's folder in my hand. Imagine my embarrassment when an IIT friend appeared in front of me in Ozhar, believe it or not! And exclaimed, "Gopal, I thought you joined as a Management Trainee in Computers". I could have died a thousand deaths. After this leveling experience, I was less embarrassed to work as a Dispatch Clerk in the Company Depot and an Invoice Clerk in the Accounts Department. Several years later, I realised the value of such grassroots level experience. It is fantastic. I would advise young people to seek out nail-dirtying, collar-soiling, shoe-wearing tasks. That is how you learn about organizations, about the true nature of work, and the dignity of the many, many tasks that go into building great enterprises.

 

2. Deserve before you desire

At one stage, I was appointed as the Brand Manager for Lifebuoy and Pears soap, the company's most popular-priced and most premium soaps. And what was a Brand Manager? "A mini-businessman, responsible for the production, sales and profits of the brand, accountable for its long-term growth, etc., etc. I had read those statements, I believed them and here I was, at 27,"in charge of everything". But very soon, I found I could not move a pin without checking with my seniors. One evening, after turning the Facit machine handle through various calculations, I sat in front of the Marketing Director. I expressed my frustration and gently asked whether I could not be given total charge. He smiled benignly and said, "The perception and reality are both right. You will get total charge when you know more about the brand than anyone else in this company about its formulation, the raw materials, the production costs, the consumer's perception, the distribution and so on. How long do you think that it will take?" "Maybe, ten years", I replied, "and I don't expect to be the Lifebuoy and Pears Brand Manager for so long"! And then suddenly, the lesson was clear. I was desiring total control, long before I deserved it. This happens to us all the time - in terms of responsibilities, in terms of postings and promotions, it happens all the time that there is a gap between our perception of what we deserve and the reality of what we get. It helps to deserve before we desire.

3. Play to win but win with fairness

Life is competitive and of course, you play to win. But think about the balance. Will you do anything, to win? Perhaps not. Think deeply about how and where you draw the line. Each person draws it differently, and in doing so, it helps to think about values. Winning without values provides dubious fulfillment. The leaders who have contributed the most are the ones with a set of universal values! V Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King for example. Napoleon inspired a ragged, mutinous and half-starved army to fight and seize power. This brought him name and fame for twenty years. But all the while, he was driven forward by a selfish and evil ambition, and not in pursuit of a great ideal. He finally fell because of his selfish ambition. I am fond of referring to the Pierre de Coubertin Fair Play Trophy. It was instituted in 1964 by the founder of the modern Olympic Games and here are two examples of winners. A Hungarian tennis player who pleaded with the umpire to give his opponent some more time to recover from a cramp. A British kayak team who were trailing the Danish kayak team. They then stopped to help the Danish team whose boat was stuck. The Danes went on to beat the British by one second in a three hour event! What wonderful examples of sportsmanship! Play to Win, but with Fairness.

4. Enjoy whatever you do

Sir Thomas Lipton is credited with the statement, "There is no greater fun than hard work". You usually excel in fields, which you truly enjoy. Ask any person what it is that interferes with his enjoyment of existence. He will say, "The struggle for life". What he probably means is the struggle for success. Unless a person has learnt what to do with success after getting it, the very achievement of it must lead him to unhappiness. Aristotle wrote, "Humans seek happiness as an end in itself, not as a means to something else". But if you think about it, we should not work for happiness. We should work as happy people. In organizational life, people get busy doing something to be happy. The more you try to be happy, the more unhappy you can get. Your work and career is all about you’re reaching your full potential. Working at one's full potential, whether it is the office boy or the Chairman, leads to enjoyment and fulfillment. A last point about enjoyment. Keep a sense of humor about yourself. Too many people are in danger of taking themselves far too seriously. As General Joe Stilwell is reported to have said, "Keep smiling. The higher the monkey climbs, the more you can see of his backside".

5. Be Passionate about your health

Of course, as you get older, you would have a slight paunch, graying of hair or loss of it and so on. But it is in the first 5 - 7 years after the working career begins that the greatest neglect of youthful health occurs. Sportsmen stop playing sports, non drinkers drink alcohol, light smokers smoke more, active people sit on chairs, and starving inmates of hostels eat rich food in good hotels and so on. These are the years to watch. Do not, I repeat do not, convince yourself that you are too busy, or that you do not have access to facilities, or worst of all, that you do this to relieve the stresses of a professional career. A professional career is indeed very stressful. There is only one person who can help you to cope with the tension, avoid the doctor's scalpel, and to feel good each morning - and that is yourself. God has given us as good a health as He has, a bit like a credit balance in the bank. Grow it, maintain it, but do not allow its value destruction. The penalty is very high in later years.

6. Direction is more important than distance

Every golfer tries to drive the ball to a very long distance. In the process, all sorts of mistakes occur because the game involves the masterly co-ordination of several movements simultaneously. The golf coach always advises that direction is more important than distance. So it is with life. Despite one's best attempts, there will be ups and downs. It is relationships and friendships that enable a person to navigate the choppy waters that the ship of life will encounter. When I was young, there was a memorable film by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart and Dona Reed, and named IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. It is about a man who is about to commit suicide because he thinks he is a failure. An angel is sent to rescue him. The bottom line of the film is that "No Man is a Failure Who Has Friends".

 

Conclusion: My generation will never be twenty again, but when you are older, you can and should be different from my generation. Ours is a great and wonderful country, and realizing her true potential in the global arena depends ever so much on the quality and persistence of our young people. Good luck in your journey, my young friends, and God be with you.

Benefits of Lemon

Lemon is one of those super foods with a myriad health and cosmetic benefits. There are a few persons for whom it is an allergen, so make sure you are not allergic to this natural product, before you start enjoying the many benefits.

1. Lemon being a citrus fruit , fights against infection. It helps in production of WBC's and antibodies in blood which attacks the invading microorganism and prevents infection.

2. Lemon is an antioxidant which deactivates the free radicals preventing many dangerous diseases like stroke, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

3. Lemon lowers blood pressure and increases the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) .

4. Lemon is found to be anti-carcinogenic which lower the rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer. They prevent faulty metabolism in the cell, which can predispose a cell to becoming carcinogenic. Also blocks the formation of nitrosamines in the gut.

5. Lemon juice is said to give a glow to the skin.

6. A few drops of lemon juice in hot water are believed to clear the digestive system and purify liver as well.

7. The skin of lemon dried under the sun and then ground to make powder can be applied to the hair for a few minutes before bath which relieves head ache and cools the body.

8. Applying lemon juice to acne dries the existing ones and prevents from getting more.

9. Lemon juice acts as a natural hair lightner and skin bleach which reduces the pigment melanin and prevents the risk of chemical allergic reactions which is common with hair dyes and bleaches.

10. Lemon juice is given to relieve gingivitis, stomatitis, and inflammation of the tongue.

11. Lemon juice is given to prevent common cold.

12. Lemon juice is given to prevent or treat urinary tract infection and gonorrhea.

13. Lemon juice is applied to the sites of bites and stings of certain insects to relieve its poison and pain.

14. Lemon juice relieves colic pain and gastric problems .

15. Lemon juice soothes the dry skin when applied with little glycerin .

16. Lemon juice used for marinating seafood or meat kills bacteria and other organisms present in them, thereby prevents many gastro-intestinal tract infections.

17. Lemon juice with a pinch of salt (warm) every morning lowers cholesterol levels and brings down your weight.

18. Lemon juice is the best drink to prevent dehydration and shock in case of diarrhea.

19. Lemon juice can also be used as a mouthwash. It removes plaque, whitens the teeth and strengthens the enamel.

20. A table spoon on thick lemon syrup everyday relieves asthma.

21. Lemon juice relieves chilblains and itchy skin.

22. Gargling lemon juice relieves throat infection and also used as a treatment for diphtheria .

23. Lemon juice is an excellent treatment for dandruff and greasy hair .

24. Lemon applied over the face removes wrinkles and keeps you young.

25. Lemon juice helps to prevent and cure osteoarthritis.

Little Lemon, Ginger and Honey everyday play an important role in the longevity of life.

Nithyanand: Media has become the Judge and Prosecutor !!!!

Source: http://www.sandeepweb.com/2010/03/07/swami-nithyananda-or-spycam-journalism/

Since day before yesterday, the media and large sections of the public is having a gala time over Swami Nithyananda’s bedroom antics with a Tamil actress. Everybody is outraged. “Shocked,” “devastated,” “how can he do this?” “betrayal of trust,” “Fake Gurus,” is the typical reaction from what we call the “layman.” But here’s the thing: he’ll probably be back and he’ll thrive even better in Round 2. However, for now, what was intended has been accomplished very well: manufacturing mob outrage using sleaze tactics.

It helps to answer a few questions at the outset:

Did Swami Nithyananda commit a crime by having sex with that woman?No. The video clearly shows it was consensual.

Are such Swamijis/Godmen “allowed” to have sex?
Yes unless they’ve explicitly, publicly declared that they are celibate and/or where they have prohibited their followers from having sex. In which case, it becomes a case of hypocrisy, double-standard and not really a crime. The operative word always is “consensual.”

Does Nithyananda’s act involve abuse of position and/or power?Going by this video, this is unclear, and really immaterial. Again, the woman wasn’t coerced into having sex with him.

Do reports of sandalwood illegally stocked at his ashram make him a criminal?They do but that is totally unrelated to him having sex with the actress.

So what or who is really wrong here?
Several answers but the most obvious one is buried beneath all the mudslinging happening: journalism of sleaze a.k.a invasion of privacy. The culprit of the whole episode is the TV Channel that carried out this rotten spycam operation.

But why is the public outrage focussed mostly on the Swami having sex with the actress?Because of what we have inherited as we shall see later.

Am I condoning Nithyananda’s romp caught on camera?
I leave that up your intelligence to figure out. 

But, the aftermath turned out as expected. The gleeful media readily extrapolated Nithyananda’s “immoral act” to brand Hinduism. If you’ve followed the case, the media has already passed its irrevocable judgement that Nithyananda is somehow a wrongdoer because he, a Godman, Guru, indulged in sex. That explains why the Congress News Network–Islamic News Network’s “show” is cunningly titled, “Sex, Sleaze and Swamis: Bhupendra Chaubey asks the panel what’s wrong with India’s holy community.” The Big Daddy of the Indian TV media, SpiNDTV, true to its name has wasted no time in slipping in its typical insinuation: “Bangalore godman: Modi a follower?” (I recommend looking at all the pictures in the SpinDTV picture gallery).

But the duplicity and innuendoes don’t end here. Now, a certain section of the media has appointed itself as the guardian of the “real” or “true” Hinduism. This section changes its tone and lingo to suit the occasion. It passionately hates the “goons” and “thugs” and “extremists” who besmear the fair name of the oh-so-all-encompassing Hinduism by wielding tridents, disrupting movies, Valentine’s Day, etc. Some of the more passionate protectors hailing from this section wax about “I don’t want MY Hinduism to become like an aggressive version of Islam.” Please note the special stress on MY. Others “defend” Hinduism by wailing like dogs in freezing winter nights about how “Pop Hinduism,” “Instant Gurus” have hijacked the “true essence” of Hinduism. Yet, these same Media Mullahs give space on their papers and Websites for the selfsame instant Gurus. However, their version of “true” Hinduism is this: a Zoo or Museum version of Hinduism at which you can throw fruits and nuts and watch the adherents take the bait and clap in glee, or worse, admire from a distance and gasp, “Ooh sooo esoteric!”

Truth is, both cases are different variation of the same despicable act of Hindu baiting by the Media Mullahs and assorted intellectuals who are bleeding our universities dry. For had they even the basic inkling of Sanatana Dharma, they’d know that nobody can proclaim himself or herself as a Guru. It is an honour that is bestowed upon a person after he/she passes the most stringent of spiritual and philosophical tests. This time-honoured tradition dates way back to Vedic seers right up to Ramana Maharshi. Guru literally means one who dispells darkness. In other words, he/she is one who has experienced philosophical enlightenment and he/she makes no claim that he/she has the ultimate key to the Truth. He/she doesn’t advertise his/her enlightenment but will accept disciples if they pass his/her test and vice versa. Unlike today’s Pop Gurus (for the record, I abhor them for the damage they do in the long run) who acquire a smattering of Yoga, Tantra (nothing to do with sex as is commonly misunderstood), meditation, ill-understood Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and a bastardized form of mysticism. However, if there’s a Pop Guru who has understood all these accurately and still goes about like a Nithyananda, he is a bigger charlatan.

Neither does our tradition prescribe celibacy for someone who is looked upon as a Guru. Majority of the ancient sages were married, had children and some even had more than one wife. Yet, why do we still revere a Vishwamitra who had numerous “affairs” and fathered many children? That’s because he gave us the most amazing Gayatri Mantra, which the same media–Slimes Music for example–makes tons of money out of. Which brings us to another instance of the media and academic ignoramuses who sit in the judge’s seat. There’s a wide gulf of difference between a Sanyasin and these self-styled Gurus. Celibacy among other things, is prescribed for a Sanyasin. Hindu tradition strictly condemns aSanyasin who, in the position of a Guru abandons celibacy. Strict punishment is prescribed for such Sanyasins and once he has abandoned his celibacy, he can no longer claim the right to be a Guru. Apart from this, the respect or devotion people have for someone in the position of a Guru doesn’t rest on whether he/she is celibate but what he/she brings for the world. So why was the public outraged when Nithyananda’s footage was aired?

The answer to that question lies in the colonized attitudes that continue to plague Indians: it shows we haven’t cast away the ugly Victorian morality. More accurately, it points to the hold both Islam and Christianity continue to have on the Hindu psyche. The same crowd that went berserk over Nithyananda’s romp video still flock to that charlatan couple, Kalki and Amma “Bhagavan” (sic), both married and who would’ve definitely had sex at least once. What explains this?

Back to the media, we wonder why no channel has ever planted a spycam inside the dark and holy halls and rooms of a Church or Cloister. Is it because perhaps the good Lord Sees All and needs no spycam? All exposes of the Father-Sister, Brother-Sister, Brother-Brother games that go on in those holy halls have seen light of the day because somebody from within revealed them to the world. And let’s not forget that these Brothers and Fathers have taken an oath of lifelong celibacy when they entered God’s Service. Let’s not even go near the Madrassas. Here’s a sample (Image courtesy: http://freethinker.co.uk/)

Any spycams a la Nithyananda? Courageous Media, we’re waiting. Which brings us to the real issue in this whole affair de disgrace: invasion of privacy. But then sting ops are de rigeur in today’s TV journalism. It’s one thing to do a thorough, old-fashioned investigative journalism and another to put cameras into somebody’s bedroom to expose exactly…what?Interestingly, not one media house has questioned the TV channel for adopting Peeping Tom tactics to manufacture sensationalism out of nothing.

Additionally, the argument that Nithyananda broke the trust of millions of his followers is also bogus. A Pop Swami/Guru, Nithyananda, like others of his ilk, cleverly marketed his wares. Those who came into his fold have no right to complain for their own disillusionment. In the end, Swamis and Gurus like Nithyananda thrive because of the en masse loss of our traditional values. And it is equally also the reason why the media thrives in derogating Hinduism.

MFHussain....why does Congress regret his exit from India?

---

This happens only in INDIA (DUE TO DIRTY POLITICIANS) 
Jago otherwise...... YOUR photos.... 
Be a judge yourself of Hussain's paintings below. 

Goddess Durga in sexual union with Tiger.

Prophet's Daughter Fatima fully clothed.

Goddess Laxmi naked on Ganesha's head.

M F Hussain's mother fully clothed.

Naked Saraswati.

Mother Teresa fully clothed.

Naked Shiv Parvati.

Hussain's Daughter well clothed.

Naked Draupadi.

Well clothed Muslim Lady.

Naked Lord Hanuman and Goddess Sita sitting on thigh of Ravana.

Muslim poets Faiz, Galib are shown well clothed.

Full clad Muslim King and naked Hindu Brahmin. The above painting clearly indicates Hussain's tendency to paint any Hindu as naked and thus his hatred.

Naked Bharatmata - Hussain has shown naked woman with names of states written on different parts of her body. He has used Ashok Chakra, Tri-colour in the painting. By doing this he has violated laws and hurt National Pride of Indians. Both these things should be of grave concern of every Indian irrespective of his religion.

Out of four leaders M Gandhi is decapitated and Hitler is naked. Hussain hates Hitler and has said in an interview 8 yeares ago that he has depicted Hitler naked to humilate him and as he deserves it. How come Hitler's nudity cause humiliation when in Hussain's own statement nudity in art depicts purity and is in fact an honour. This shows Hussains's perversion and hypocrisy.

WHEN YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP

Veer Savarkar once started addressing a public meeting in Hindi at Bangalore.

The crowd started shouting " Speak in Kannada. We will hear only in kannada."

Veer Savarkar replied " Friends, I have spent 14 years of rigorous imprisonment in ill famous Andaman Jail where all freedom fighters were kept in jail. I have learned Bengali from the freedom fighters coming from Bengal, Hindi from those coming from Uttar Pradesh, even gujarathi and punjabi. Unfortunately there was none from Karnataka from whom I could have learned Kannada."

...and there was pin drop silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At a time when the US President and other US politicians tend to apologize for their country's prior actions, here's a refresher on how some former US personnel handled negative comments about the United States.

JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when Charles DeGaule, the French President, decided to pull out of NATO.

DeGaule said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.

Rusk responded "does that include those who are buried here?

DeGaule did not respond. You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if US plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush.

He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril
to fight for freedom beyond our borders.

The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American.

During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done?

He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?'

A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each
day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.

At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries.

Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks when a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.

He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'

Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, 'Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it
so you wouldn't have to speak German.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

............AND THE FOLLOWING STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE..........

Robert Whiting , an elderly US gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.

At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.

"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."

The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."

"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !"

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look.

Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchman to show a passport to."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rajni dialogs

Super Star Rajinikanth’s films are known for their “punch” dialogues. These are rhyming lines of dialogue delivered by the Rajinikanth to indirectly express his principles or position on political issues. Tamil magazines sometimes conduct competitions to predict possible punch dialogues for his forthcoming films. These dialogues are repeated many times in his movies and most of these have significance to the political situation at the time of release of relevant movies.

Listed below are some notable “punch” dialogues:

Moondru Mugam (1982)

• Ekambaram: “Ekambaramnu sonna vayithula irukura kozhandhai kooda vaaya moodum.” (?????????: “??????????? ??????, ????????
  ???????? ??????? ??? ???? ??????”) – “Say the name ‘Ekambaram’ and even an unborn child will shut its mouth and hush up.”
• Alex Pandian: “Adhe kozhandhai kitta Alex Pandiyannu sonna, innoru kaiyale avanga amma vaayayum moodum!” ( ??????? ?????????:
  “??? ????????????? ??????? ??????????? ??????, ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ???????? ??????”) – “Well, if you say the name
  ‘Alex Pandian’ to that same unborn child, it will even close its mother’s mouth with its other hand!”

Annamalai (1992)

• “Naan solrathaiyum seiven, sollathathiyum seiven.” (???? ????????????? ????????, ????????????? ????????) – “I will do what I
  say, I will also do what I don’t say.”

Basha (1995)

• “Naan oru dhadavai sonna nooru dhadavai sonna madhiri.” (???? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ??????) – “If i say it once,
  I’ve said it a hundred times.”

Muthu (1995)

• “Naan eppa varuven, eppadi varuvennu yarukkum theriyadhu, aana varavendiya neratthil correct-aga varuven.” (???? ????
  ???????, ?????? ????????? ?????????? ????????, ??? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ???????) – “When I will arrive, or how I will
  arrive, nobody will know, but I will arrive when I ought to.”

Arunachalam(1997)

• “Andavan solran. Arunachalam seiran.” (??????? ????????, ??????????? ????????) – “God tells, Arunachalam does.”

Padayappa (1999)

• “En vazhi ? thani vazhi.” (??? ???; ??? ???) – “My way is a unique way.”

Baba (2002)

• “Khatham, gatham.” (?????? ????) – “The past is past.”

Shivaji(2007)

• “Chuma adhurudalla”

Human feelings during War

Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabiliser and nose shot up. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realise that there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it. Now read the story below. I think you'll be surprised.....

 
Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at  Kimbolton , England . His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.  

  
After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunnerwounded.. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage.  The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.  

  
Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane. 
  
     BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler                                B-17 pilot Charlie Brown. 
      

  
Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards  England . He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to  Europe .  When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.  
  
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions. 

  
They met in the  USA  at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day. 
 
(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.


 
When asked why he didn't shoot them down, Stigler later said, "I didn't have the heart to finish those brave men.  I flew beside them for a long time.  They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that.  I could not have shot at them.  It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute." 

 
Both men died in 2008.