As a young boy, Hugh Montague Trenchard was probably considered to be a failure by many of his teachers and perhaps even some of his family because of his very poor school performance. But Trenchard showed the courage and determination of an indomitable spirit early on as he refused to give up, and later on became one of the most successful and recognized men in the Britain armed forces.

Trenchard was born in 1873 at Windsor Lodge in Taunton, England. His father was a solicitor and his mother was the daughter of the Royal Navy Captain, John McDowall Skene. Although his mother wanted Trenchard to follow her father’s example and join the Navy, Trenchard couldn’t get in and failed the examinations. He finally was admitted to the army in 1893 and went to India for his first posting as a Lieutenant.

During the Boer War, Trenchard went to fight for Britain in South Africa and was critically injured whilst in battle, an injury that caused him partial paralysis and a missing lung. However, when Trenchard went to Switzerland later to recuperate, he crashed on a bobsleigh ride and miraculously his paralysis vanished and he was able to walk again. He was able to return to active service in South Africa.

Trenchard also fought in Nigeria and then learned to fly in 1912 and showed great talent for aviation. During World War I he was placed as the commander of Royal Flying Corps in France and has been called the Father of the Royal Air Force, known throughout the world today as one of the most elite and talented flying forces in the world.

After hostilities had broken out in World War I, an aviator by the name of T.F. Dodd was having some troubles with his plane, and had to make an emergency landing. He got the help of a local racecar enthusiast and mechanic, and was soon back up and running. The mechanic expressed an interest in the war effort, and later, when Dodd became an aviation officer under General "Black Jack" Pershing, he remembered the young mechanic and offered him a position, and in doing so, brought one of the best pilots the Allies would ever see into the war. Eddie Rickenbacker might never have found his ultimate destiny but for that chance encounter.

Rickenbacker was originally brought on as a mechanic, but his love for speed soon saw him taking as much practice time in the birds as working on them. His superiors, fearing the loss of such a talented mechanic, initially tried to stop him, but once he trained a replacement he was able to talk his way into active flight duty. On April 29, 1918, he shot down his first German plane, and within a month was a decorated ace with five kills.

Rickenbacker would prove to be the most successful Allied pilot of the war, chalking up twenty-six kills and earning the Medal of Honor, which was bestowed upon him in 1931. More important than his own tally, however, he developed the technique of the aerial dogfight, paving the way for pilots throughout the rest of the century and beyond. Rickenbacker will always be remembered as one of the true pioneers of air combat.

Frank Luke was American pilot, and he was also the second highest scoring Ace during World War One. He took down fourteen German balloons and four German aircraft in just seventeen days. Although Rickenbacker has more victories to his name, no one matched Frank Luke for a courage that bordered on madness.

Frank Luke was born in Arizona on May 19, 1897, the fifth child of German immigrants. He was a strong, active and competitive boy who loved to play sports. He enlisted in the Aviation service in 1917 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1918. He was then assigned to the 27th Aero Squadron in France.

He wasn't well-liked by the others in his Squadron, with the exception of another outcast named Joe Wehner. When Luke announced his first air victory, the others brushed him off as a liar. That's when Luke started securing written and signed eyewitness accounts of his victories. Unfortunately, his tendency to break away from formation, go on solo missions, and blow up German balloons sparked jealousy and dislike in his fellow pilots. Luke wasn't entirely a loner, though: His friend Wehner would often fly along with him and cover his back.

Joe Wehner died in action while flying with Frank Luke, as did Ivan Roberts shortly afterward. The deaths of the few people Luke counted as friends drove him into a suicidal depression. He started going on unauthorized missions until he was nearly arrested for going AWOL. His final act was shooting down three more observation balloons before he was forced to land in German territory. His body was discovered with an empty gun, a bullet hole in his chest, and several dead Germans surrounding him.

Frank Luke, easily one of the most daring Flying Aces that ever lived, was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1921.

The first hero of Nottingham was Robin Hood of Sherwood forest fame. The second hero was Albert Ball, World War I flying ace. At age 18, Albert Ball joined the 7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). At Hendon, a London suburb, he paid for his own private flying lessons. After this he was sent to the Royal Flying Corps' Central Flying School. He received his wings in early 1916 and was sent to France.

Albert Ball was a lone wolf in the sky and on the ground. Off duty he would tend his garden and practice his violin. He has been quoted as saying, "Won't it be nice when all this beastly killing is over, and we can enjoy ourselves and not hurt anyone? I hate this game." Still, Albert Ball had 44 victories at the time of his death and was the Allied Forces leading ace. Only the Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen) had more victories at that time.

There is uncertainty surrounding the death of Albert Ball. He and 11 other British aircraft encountered German aircraft on the evening of May 7, 1917. The visibility was poor due to gathering darkness and rainy weather. Both Ball and the Red Baron's younger brother, Lothar von Richthofen crashed in Germany. German propagandists claim that von Richthofen shot Ball down. Some believe that poor visibility caused Ball to become disoriented and crash. Another version is that German gunners in a church clock tower shot down Ball as he flew past to check the time. There are also claims that Lothar von Richthofen was not in that particular battle because he was on sick leave.

Hugh Trenchard had great things ahead of him, although no one would have guessed it when he was a lad. As a child, he neglected his studies. He failed the British Army entry exams twice. In 1883, he barely got into the army at age 20. Trenchard had almost no social graces, no financial independence, and didn't fit in with his regiment. However, he managed to earn their respect by being an excellent sportsman and polo player.

Trenchard was injured in the war against the Boers in Africa. A bullet punctured his lung and grazed his spine, leaving him partially paralyzed. At the advice of a doctor, he spent several months in Switzerland for his health and took up bobsleighing. A violent crash jolted his spine into alignment, and he was able to walk again. He resumed his service as soon as he could.

At age 39, Trenchard decided to take flying lessons. His commanding officer tried to discourage him, since Trenchard was too tall and nearly too old to be accepted by the Royal Flying Corps. Trenchard took the course anyway and earned his wings after spending 64 minutes in the air.

Trenchard wasn't a good pilot, but he realized the potential of air attacks. He knew the Royal Flying Corps needed better training and discipline if it was going to be a military asset. He set forth the curriculum and pioneered the techniques necessary for successful air attacks. He was even the first to come up with formation flying.

After a lackluster career and many failures, Trenchard had finally found his calling. He laid out the foundation for the Royal Air Force, trained it, disciplined it, and affected the outcome of two world wars. Against the odds, he played a pivotal role in history.

Alfred Graf von Schlieffenn is one of the more famous field marshals in German history, particularly because he lent his name to the Schlieffenn Plan, conceived in 1905, which carefully plotted out the means to defeating the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire.

Schlieffenn was born on February 28, 1833. He was given the opportunity to serve as Chief of the Imperial German General Staff in 1891, a position which he held until 1905. His military career was given its start when he enlisted in the army at the age of 20 years old. He was a part of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War from 1870- 1871. He was considered to be one of the best modern military strategists of his day by creating a method for keeping Germany's military battles in manageable size. His 1905 Schlieffenn Plan kept the German army from having to fight a war on two sides, by focusing attention on the French in an intensified battle and then pounding on the Russian forces.

Schlieffenn retired from military in 1906, following a 53 year-long period of service. His death on January 4, 1913 came just 19 months before the outbreak of World War I. However, his theories on military strategy were continually studied throughout the 20th century, particularly in the arena of maneuver warfare. Schlieffenn's intellect has been respected for decades following his life of service. Even United States General Dwight D. Eisenhower commented to the impact of Schlieffenn's military mind.

Sergeant Larry Mike, a career Army man, raised his two sons to get out of bed at zero six-hundred hours on Saturday mornings to do chores. In high school, Jason Mike was a great football player. He earned All-District, All-State and All-American honors. He entered college with dreams of playing professional football, but September 11, 2001 changed those plans. After finishing his college football season, he stepped into combat boots.

Mike trained to be a combat medic. He became assigned to Staff Sergeant Timothy Nein's 617th Military Police Company. The unit first headed to Kuwait, but soon was sent to Iraq. Things were quiet at first for the unit, and Staff Sergeant Nein continued training them for every possible contingency. This constant training is what Sergeant Mike and others in the unit credit for getting them through Palm Sunday, March 20, 2005.

Nein's unit was using the call sign of Raven 42. They had been patrolling a road about 20 miles south of Baghdad when they encountered two huge US supply convoys. They began shadowing the convoys from the rear in case of enemy attack. Between 45-50 insurgents did attack. Nein's unit positioned themselves between the insurgents and the convoys. With three Humvees of MPs, Nein's unit was able to defeat the attacking insurgents. Sergeant Mike at one point was firing an M249 light machine gun in his left hand and an M4 rifle in his right. He was not just spraying bullets but making shots that counted. Near the end of the battle, Sergeant Mike noticed muzzle flashes coming from a farmhouse in a nearby orchard. Using an AT4 tank rocket launcher, Sergeant Mike stopped the sniper fire with one shot. Sergeant Jason Mike also attended his wounded comrades during and after the battle. He was awarded the Silver Star.