A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II

“Can good men be found on both sides of a bad war?”

The Introduction ends with this rhetorical question, crystallizing the book’s central moral challenge. By confronting the possibility of virtue amid enmity, it dismantles simplistic “good versus evil” narratives and foreshadows a story that tests the boundaries of courage, compassion, and honor in the context of World War II.

“Once, fighter pilots had been the nation’s heroes. Now the hostile eyes of the men around Franz confirmed a new reality. Fighter pilots had become the nation’s villains.”

The contrast between “heroes” and “villains” captures Germany’s moral reversal after defeat. Through parallel structure and collective “hostile eyes,” the narration shows how public perception can pivot overnight, turning celebrated warriors into scapegoats for collective guilt. The sentence also foreshadows Stigler’s personal struggle to find identity and purpose in a society eager to blame him for its shattered landscape.

“Always do the right thing, even if no one sees it.”

Spoken by Franz’s father after examining the sloppily glued wing, the aphorism shows the moral bedrock on which Franz’s character is built. Its brief, imperative phrasing functions as both parental counsel and thematic foreshadowing, hinting that private integrity—not public acclaim—will guide Franz’s actions in the future.