My fathers war

[dhermann1]

This news made tears well up in my eyes. God bless you, my friend. My deepest condolances.

 

[1961MJS]

And so ends the story.
On this morning, the 9th of April - which is also the day of the Nazi attack on Norway and Denmark - my father finally found peace after a couple of months of struggling with bad health.
He turned 92 in January, and had - apart from the last few months - lived a happy and full life.
When I told him about all your comments some time ago, his answer was very typical:
"Tell them it was nothing, compared to what other people went through - but give them all my very best wishes".

My condolences, I lost my father on August 19, 2011 at the age of 92. Dad was a Weather Forecaster in the 17th Weather Squadron in the Pacific from November 2, 1942 until October 1045. Most of my home town remembers his stories.

Later

 

[Steven180]

My deep condolences and respect in the loss of your father Sir. You have served him well in the respect you have paid by profiling and committing to history his, and his comrades, selfless and courageous acts.

Their dedication and belief in the opportunities of liberty, self determination and law provide inspiration for the ages.

Thank you,
M.

 

[Spitfire]

Thank you, gents.

 

[Otter]

Sorry to hear that news. it took real guts to do what your Dad did.

 

[Bix B.]

Found this thread so late, but so interesting and touching ...
Thanks Spitfire

My father`s war

After reading Spitfire`s interesting and touching thread about his father`s war, seen from the Resistance` view I thought about a view from the german, also known as the “evil`s” side.

Our family`s large farm was located very near to the actual Danish – German border, and by this, depending on who won the last war, was for hundreds of years either on the Danish or the German border. But after 1900 almost all in the family spoke and by this felt german.
After 1933 the family became almost split because of those who followed the Nazis and those who stayed with the conservative / christian partys. No communist, socialdemocratic or liberal ones in our well off farmer`s family.
After the depressing times the Nazis were optimistic and had simple answers for the complicated problems and, important, they knew who was guilty of all the mess.

According to my mother, who was a young child when Hitler came to rise, the spirit became positive and it was like “what can I do” opposed to the “everything is hopeless”-dogma. She loved being in the girls nazi organization (BdM) and had only the best memories to the optimistic spirit.

When I went to school we had mostly young political liberal or left orientated teachers who told us their truth about the Nazis and WW II. The older people didn`t talked much about the Nazi era, apart from later at partys when alcohol was drunk and the men talked about their war experiences, mostly heroic events against overwhelming and numeric superior enemy of course. I will never forget when I came home and began disgusted blaming them for what they did to the jews or better, what they didn`t do agains`t the Nazis. How could they imagine that people aren`t the same all over the world?
When stones were thrown in jewish shops why didn`t they do something?
When neighbors were led away they did nothing?
Books were burnt and they did nothing?
Slaves worked in the factories and they did nothing?

In fact, thinking now as they are dead since many years, In a certain way, I spoke like a young Nazi to them, in a way “you are absolutely guilty, no excuse possible”! Only reprovals resulting in You are bad and by this meaning in reverse I am good for myself.
I remember my mother watching the TV drama “Holocaust” and breaking down in tears. She said I didn`t knew about the killing factorys. I believed her.
But my father and his brothers and friends, they had fought on all fronts, saw many comrades falling and this, their sacrifice was for nothing?
Even worser, they had fought on the wrong side?
No way – impossible for most of them to accept.