Highlands Ranch — A documentary film about two World War II pilots premiered in Centennial Wednesday night. The men met four years ago at a retirement community in Colorado and soon realized the stunning connection they share.
Bob McAdam and Butch Desens, both 97 years old, live just 25 steps from each other in a Highlands Ranch retirement community. And they share so much more than a hallway.
"We were in the same prison camp together," Desens said.
They realized they both spent many months at the German prison camp, Stalag Luft I, when Bob moved in 4 years ago.
"I remember him giving the exercises," he said.
"I led the exercises for the compound which was about 1,400 men at that time," McAdam explained.
He was captured about a month before Butch in July of 1944 when his plane was shot down.
"We knew that we were under the gun: Hitler's gun," McAdam said, referring to the constant threat of being executed during his 10 months at the prison camp.
The two never met in person while at the camp, but they shared the same experiences and both remained hopeful they would be rescued.
"We had every faith that better things would happen," Desens said.
They were rescued in May of 1945. Both served again in the Korean War. And when their wives passed away, they both ended up neighbors.
“We’ve become pretty close and we have a lot of other things to share," said McAdam. "We talk about our wives. We had two pretty good wives."
The documentary about the two men premiered Wednesday night, but there will be more showings. You can follow the film on twitter, and watch their trailer below:
