One of the last surviving bomber pilots of World War II shares his incredible story of escape when his B-17, the flying fortress, was hit during a bombing raid on Berlin in February 1945. He and his crew cash landed in Poland, on a frozen potato field abandoned by retreating Germans. Si Spiegel and his crew made a daring escape in a another plane held together with spare parts and prayers. Why are we telling you this story now, less than a week before Christmas? Because when Si returned to America, he modernized the artificial Christmas tree, inventing new ways of making them look natural and real.
Standing at far right, 1st Lt. Si Spiegel flew 35 combat missions over Europe, including two after he crash-landed in Poland Photo: Screen shot via Youtube
