You may never have heard of James Goodson’s name (he was also known as the “King of the Strafers” — a former pilot for both the 4th Fighter Group of the U.S. Air Forces and the Eagle squadron in Britain’s Royal Air Force who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for valor) but after reading this post, you’ll never ever forget his story.

Part of the first American World War II fighter group to fly over Europe in 1942, a few years later Goodson ran into serious trouble in 1944 while escorting U.S. bombers in a raid over Berlin while piloting his P-47 Thunderbolt. To his bad fortune, he encountered a logjam of German Messerschmitt Bf 109s there to pick off the American bombers — and if they could, him as well.

Undeterred by the threat, the steely-willed pilot knocked out two Messerschmitt aircraft while diving and weaving in and out of fire.

However, just a few months later, while flying a P-51 — the Germans finally got him.

They shot him down.

Before collapsing from the severity of his injuries, he found a birch forest not far from the German airfield he was flying over.

Unfortunately, the Nazis spotted him, took him prisoner, and immediately threatened him with execution.

What ensued was documented in his Washington Post obit in 2014, and would make a Hollywood director blush. It’s … incredible:

He recalled that one captor [a Nazi] asked him if he wanted a drink or another indulgence before being shot. Mr. Goodson spied a box of Havana cigars, asked for a stogie and began to blow smoke rings, which he said shocked the German and led to a conversation about their mutual interest in cigars.

“The guy had never seen anything like that,” Mr. Goodson once said in an interview, “and I started teaching him how to blow smoke rings.” Instead of being shot, he was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

“People say smoking costs lives,” he said. “It saved my life.”

James Alexander Goodson, known as “Goody,” was born March 21, 1921, in New York City. In Toronto, he was studying languages when he set out for Europe.

After being held at POW camps in Poland and in Germany, he was repatriated in April 1945. His honors included the Silver Star, nine awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart and 21 awards of the Air Medal. He retired from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Following his wartime discharge, Mr. Goodson became an executive with Goodyear, Hoover and the conglomerate ITT. He wrote a memoir, “Tumult in the Clouds,” published in 1983.

Rest in peace, airman.