As a United States Air force fighter pilot flying an F-15 Eagle, my job is to maintain air superiority against the enemy.  I have extensive specialized training in air to air combat and have flown multiple missions during Desert Storm Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia and Afghanistan.  I am proud to say that I have earned the title of, “Ace” and wear my wings proudly upon my chest.

During my many missions I experienced countless close calls and the numerous enemies I engaged in combat, although worthy opponents, met their fate.

One mission, my last, I will never forget.  That day, my life was changed forever as did the life of a man also doing his job who became my friend… my enemy.

I was on my way back from flying a mission when all of a sudden the warning instruments on my console began to scream.  I was locked in to the enemy’s target missile guidance system and I needed to act right away.  I bank left, right and then straight up aiming my Screaming Eagle for the moon as I released two flares.    As I attempted to elude my opponent I thought to myself, how amazing it was that this iron bird could defy gravity.  When I leveled out I was deafened by a loud noise and I hit the brakes as my foe flew right over the top me on fire.  I watched his plane fall apart in front of me than half of his plane blew up in midair at the same time he ejected.  His parachute got wrapped around his face and he started to struggle flaying his arms to get it free.  His chute deployed and he began to drift slowly hanging in the air.  It all happened so quickly and the thought of shooting my adversary as he floated in front of me crossed my mind so I reached for the trigger… but nothing was there.

The shock and confusion started to subside and my hearing returned after that deafening noise a few minutes earlier and it all became clear to me… I had been shot down and my plane had exploded around me.  The auto-eject shot me out of the cockpit and my parachute deployed… I too was now floating to earth.  

I looked around and to my surprise, directly in front of me 50 feet away, was my enemy!   We both were baffled, frozen with fear and all we both could do is just stare at each other in disbelief.

As we floated together I didn’t know what else to do, so I smiled, raised my right hand and extended my two fingers …peace.

He slowly raised his right hand holding a camera and he snapped a picture that no one would ever believe… then smiled back.  

There we were, two mighty warriors, doing the job that we were trained to do, fighting for our country, staring into each other’s faces in disbelief when just a few minutes earlier we were trying to kill each other.  We are now helplessly floating down to earth with no planes; no weapons of war and on equal levels smiling at each other knowing when we both land on the ground there will be handshakes and a new found friendship.

After I awoke up, I realized it was all deam.  I laid there in bed thinking; wouldn’t it be great if it were that simple that enemies could lay down their weapons, bond together as friends and walk away brothers… only in our dreams.