During World War I many soldiers would be involved in battle in the sky. They would use fighter planes to shoot each other down. There was one soldier who was known as a hero, his name was Manfred von Richthofen. He flew his signature blazing red airplane all around the world shooting down plane after plane. The "Red Baron" has 80 credited victories and has become a legend in the air. Richthofen was 22 when the war first started and fought on Germany's side.
In 1915 Richthofen switched over from the Germany army to the Imperial Air Service. Once 1916 came around he was up in the air doing mass amounts of damage. In one year he shot down 15 planes, bypassing all of the previous records set by previous pilots. Richthofen flew a Fokker triplane that was painted entirely red in tribute of his cavalry regiment, this is how he got the nickname "The Red Baron".
On April 21, 1918, Richthofen was in the territory of the Allied. Up in the sky leading his squad he saw an enemy plane and followed it. The Red Baron followed the plane too far into enemy territory and too close to the ground that he received machine gun fire from Captain Arthur Roy Brown in a plane following him. One of the bullets hit him in the torso, he was able to land his plane but the Australian troops didn't get there in time. Captain Arthur Roy Brown often gets the credit for shooting down the Red Baron, but some claim it was an Australian gunner on the ground. Still today people discuss who actually shot down the Red Baron. He died at the age of 25 and was buried by the Allies at a cemetery in France. Manfred Von Richthofen was one of the most recognizable pilot during his era.
Sources - http://history1900s.about.com/od/1910s/a/redbaron.htm
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/red-baron-killed
Super inspiring picture ;)
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