Before he became known as the father of artificial Christmas trees, Si Spiegel was a valiant Army aviator. In the closing days of World War II, he was piloting his B-17 Flying Fortress in an armada of 1,500 Allied bombers that pummeled Berlin. Struck by anti-aircraft flak, two of the plane’s four engines lost power as Spiegel reversed course to return to England.
Si Spiegel, war hero who modernized Christmas trees, dies at 99 seattletimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from seattletimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.