Lt. Owen John Baggett was a crewman on a B-24 stationed in India during World War II

On March 31 1943 

Lt. Owen John Baggett was a crewman on a B-24 stationed in India during World War II. On one mission, his plane was attacked by 13 Japanese Zeroes while they were attempting to bomb a bridge in Burma. The plane was hit in the fuel tanks and caught fire, forcing the crew to bail out. As they descended with parachutes, the Zeroes continued to attack, killing two of the crew and wounding Baggett in the left arm.

Feigning death, Baggett watched as a curious Zero pilot approached him, performing an astonishing bit of aerobatics to get a closer look at the wounded American. At just the right moment, Baggett drew his service pistol, a Colt .45, and fired four shots, hitting the Japanese pilot in the head and causing the Zero to crash.

Baggett was captured and taken to a POW camp, where he was surprisingly received and feted as a hero by the Japanese camp commander, a colonel, for his fine shooting at the Zero. This is an example of the Japanese military's peculiar Bushido code, which placed great emphasis on honor and valor in battle.

Baggett and 37 other POWs were liberated at the war's end by eight OSS agents who parachuted into Singapore.

While he was assigned to Mitchel Air Force Base, Baggett was noted for his work with children, including sponsoring a boy and a girl to be commander for a day. Baggett retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1973 and later worked as a defense contractor manager for Litton.

He died in 2006 at the age of 85. Baggett's heroism in shooting down a Japanese Zero with his Colt .45 while hanging from an open parachute will always be remembered as an inspiring example of courage and determination.

Baggett's exploit has been reported as credible by both National Public Radio and Air Force magazine.