It’s inspirational speech day over at the Supreme Dark Lord’s blog, and I want to be able to refer back to this story told in the comments. It’s a story of determination and audacity, the kind that makes me feel like I can mow down any problem in my way.

Now we’ll turn it over to Dirk Manly…

For me, the most inspirational figure I know of is Douglas Bader.

1933 … crashed his fighter biplane doing a stunt-landing (in direct violation of RAF regs about such landings)… mangled his legs. Knocked out briefly — then seeing his one leg bent UP at the knee, his first thought was, “damn, I won’t be able to play rugby this afternoon.” Passes out again as they pull him from the plane.

Wakes up in the hospital, with one leg amputated just below the knee…

and the other leg just above the knee.

Goes through physical rehab. Doctors tell him he’ll never walk again without two canes. Typical fighter pilot mentality: “To hell with that. I’ll learn to walk without canes if it’s the last thing I do.”

Gets back into the cockpit in trainer planes with instructor pilot.

Eventually passes check flight, and is back on flying status.

Learns to walk without canes.

Determined to learn how to drive again (no auto transmission, so he has to move his leg to work the clutch)… because he admires the waitress where he and his buddies hang out for lunch, and wants to take her out dancing.

Learns to drive a car again.

Takes the waitress out dancing

Marries the waitress.

Gets kicked out of the RAF, the reason being “because we have no regulations for legless pilots.”

Several years later, Hitler invades Poland, draft notices go out. Bader doesn’t even wait for a draft notice to arrive — he’s depressed not flying airplanes… so he goes to the local draft board, and voluntarily enlists. Goes for his physical. Very cursory examination — doctor doesn’t even notice that he’s a double-amputee. Tells informs doctor of previously being an RAF pilot, and requests that doctor recommend he be assigned to the RAF.

Back in the RAF… refresher flight school course and then trained for, and qualifies to fly Hawker Hurricanes. Due to previous experience, assigned as flight leader over some newbie pilots. Battle of Britain commences. Gets promoted to squadron leader, and transferred to a Spitfire Squadron.

Promoted all the way up to Commander, 12th Fighter Group in charge of about a dozen squadrons.

Eventually shot down over France on a “rhubarb” mission (looking for targets of opportunity on the ground. [Bader always believed he was shot down by ground fire. Recently evidence has emerged that he might have been shot down by a friendly who pressed his gun-tit before thoroughly recognizing the shape of the fuselage about to enter his cone of fire]

Off to German POW camp.

Escapes from POW camp.

Returned to POW camp

Escapes from POW campe a 2nd time.

Returned to POW camp.

Escapes a 3rd time

Captured and Transferred to Stalag Luft III

Participates in “The Great Escape.” Manages to stay on the loose for nearly a week before capture.

Captured and sent to Oflag IV, Colditz castle — literally built on an outcropping of rock in the middle of a river (this is the place where a couple guys were building a glider in the attic. Fortunately, the war ended before they finished, because the main spar would have snapped withing moments of launching, and they would have dropped 200 feet into the river, and probably died either instantly, or of drowning while unconscious.

That’s right… they had to use up a spot in their only truly escape-proof POW camp for a man who had TWO prosthetic legs.

No matter how bad your life is going, it’s more than likely a lot better than the various situations Bader found himself in after the crash.