@@petersmith3566 " We didn't love enough. " So wise and profound from you , sir. If the world should listen to you , peace would rule. My brother was a ship's pilot on the Panama Canal. Jack has always loved people, and enjoyed being on ship from a different country for one day, or for two, depending on the weather. His two favorite ships : Russia and China, both from Red China and from Taiwan. The officers and men always welcomed him warmly. The Russians were so poor that they used newspapers for toilet paper. On one Chinese ship, he was trying to convey instructions, and in a very kindly way. One man spoke a bit of English and translated for my brother what an officer was saying about him. The man said that my brother was "very humble." I shall take this as a great compliment. Aldo, i shall ask my wonderful Chinese son-in-law about it. Jack always has said that he believed that as one person to another, we all have more in common than not. I believe that to be true. It is often the governments who live in attack modes. Thank you, Mr. Smith, for your great understanding of the problem. I had a German-speaking uncle who guarded German POWs in the Midwest. He said they were just regular guys as everybody else.
I sometimes think of the German sniper that my father told me about when he was with the NZ forces in Italy. My father was also a sniper and they were taking shots at each other. Every time dad missed him the German guy would wave his entrenching tool to show how far off he missed by. Humour across the lines.
He got to keep his medals? That can't have been easy. And considering he has two tank badges, three wound badges and fought in a Tiger tank... he saw more than his fair share of action. Respect.
That will never happens Sure laws AGAINST them SPEAKing .I never knew the other side Dont get me wrong Its should be ok To hear how they felt Not that hitler on meth garbage The whole German on meth All I need to do Watch the ending to see who PRODUCE The tribe that gives u Black-ish.kippendorf tribe
Yeah, it's really a disservice. He mentions ESCAPING FROM THE RED ARMY and there was no followup. You could probably write a whole book about this guy.
If you read the story. You would know. Soviet soldiers released almost all the soldiers of 3rd Reich German. Under the tribunal were only senior officers like Majors, Captains, Colonels, Generals and etc. Ordinary soldiers were released to their homes after the surrender in Berlin 1945. Some senior officers were sent to their homes after a few years after the war. It tells you, son of NKVD Officer.
+Thomas Villermann have you ever heard of Gulag? My grandfather was young and very low in the military hierarchy, still he spent 9 years in Gulag after the end of WW2. The russians kept as many as they needed to run their labor camps. Between '41 and '45 the russians captured 3,15 million german soldiers. 1,1 millions of them died while in captivity. The other 2 millions were kept up until the "last tenthounsand" came home 1955. So yes, the russians finally released nearly all of the prisoners, but you put it like almost all of them were sent home right away. I am not trying to agitate against russia, it's just that your point is simply not true.
Tomas Villerman the soviets held all soldiers regardless of rank and to them the more German men they could kill the more of germany they could take and do as they please with.
Alex Bridgeman, despite German casualties in WW2 are officially estimated to be 4.3 million by the German government and up to 5.3 million by some other sources?
My grandfather's brother was taken prisoner by the Soviets as well. They took him to a gulag in Siberia where he spent years after the war until they released him. They barely had anything to eat so most ppl died from various diseases or just simple malnutrition. He actually survived because he had a leather belt so when they had nothing to eat he actually ate his belt which he shared with another guy...that saved him. It's really incredible and unimaginable to what lengths they had to go to survive.
+Sean O'Dwyer what I ment was that for someone of his age he speaks so flowingly not stuttering or pausing for long moments like a lot of people that age usually do
My Great Grandmother is the same she is an Ethnic German born in Poland in 1920 she is very good with her English and her memories are still clear to her
@@Bruh-bp6nn Ah, so you're one of those people who thinks every branch of the German military was the SS. If you honestly believe your average German conscript in the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, or Kriegsmarine was some political zealot, you need to learn your history. And in return I must ask, if you're so concerned with evil, why aren't you upset by our alliance with the Soviet Union? Stalin murdered more people than Hitler by a significant margin and he was our "ally".
Strange how despite being a part of a faction that many people hated 70 years ago, listening to him now, I can't help but have the utmost respect for the man. Just wish the enemies we fight today would be gentlemen like this man.
+ErsteWahl Videos Inc. No one was. Not the Wehrmacht, not the Luftwaffe, not the RAF, not the British Army, not the US Army, not the USAAC, not the USMC, not the IJN, not the IJA and not the Red Army. Everyone got their hands dirty, in one way or another.
General James Ironwood Hahah sorry mate, I have wrote this to people in differen topics. Congratulations for being the only one who wrote civilized back
That's why he probably survived. He said he was the first one in the column and got hit. That tiger has so much armor, if he was in a regular panzer he would have likely died
at 01:05 you can see the memories coming back along with this feeling of guilt / sadness, which you can hear in his voice and see in his face. War is brutal
This guy got the iron cross, as well as 3 wound badges :o -Black (3rd class, representing Iron), for those wounded once or twice by hostile action (including air raids). -Silver (2nd class) for being wounded three or four times. So he got wounded at least 5 times, these badges were only awarded when wounded due to hostile action. Not by falling and spraining your ankle.
On television it would be edit the interview to make the point you're paid to make, and then edit in strong emotion to make it stick with the viewer's subconscious.
@I'm Right What a shame that war was, millions of young, bright people wiped out the face of earth for no reason, Woman and Children exterminated, entire cities and ancient beautiful architecture destroyed, young boys killing each other just because they wore a different color uniform..
Unbelievable that 2.8 million watched this completely unnecessary video. This video is superfluous because obviously sympathies are to be awakened for a former German soldier. But no one should have sympathy for these soldiers of a felonious army! Because this felonious army was involved in various genocides and was also involved in various wars of aggression that made this genocides possible in the first place. Overall, the Nazi nation with the Nazi army is responsible for 55 million deaths and, in addition, for the destruction of many European cities and the economic ruin of many nations.
My Father was a Sargent in a US Army Combat Engineer Battalion and was in D Day, The Bulge, Luxembourg, Germany, and finally Austria. He told me of all of his accounts during that time and mentioned that he had respect for the soldiers of the German Army. I think that it is very important that we hear how it was on the other side as well.
@Dissenting Tirade Normal men led by horrible people who corrupted the men under their rule. Many "normal" men did horrible things because of the influence of the poisonous people leading them. They were all infected with a disgusting ideology that needed to be destroyed, the Wehrmacht did not have those same people or ideology in their ranks, they conducted war with as much dignity as any of the other players in the war.
@Dissenting Tirade Not all SS were killing innocent people but the ones who did are NOT heroes of any kind or patriots. They were criminals. I can confidently say I would shoot any officer that ordered me to shoot a child or an innocent woman or man...damn the consequences.
@@N3ptuneflyer Yes disgusting ideology, a lot like progressivism and left wing liberalism. Suppress freedom of speech, control the message. Shame outliers and rebels. Much like liberal American universities.
Satans Toe Tango Nazi war crimes* The Wehrmacht were drafted, what they did they were ordered to do. The Wehrmacht were not bad people. Their leaders were.
YellowBlue RC Exactly. Plus, "history is written by the victors," the allied forces committed plenty of atrocities you won't find in the history books. The US and the Nazis were both guilty of war crimes.
+YellowBlue RC Waffen SS was a branch of SS you imbecile, Jesus Christ you did not even know that? tankarchives.blogspot.no/2014/08/carius-interview.html www.spiegel.de/international/germany/rape-murder-and-genocide-nazi-war-crimes-as-described-by-german-soldiers-a-755385-2.html
Criss Cross the Africa corps didn’t commit crimes like that. There was nobody around but the British. Not every German soldier murdered and plundered. Some knew they just had a job to do. And didn’t take any liberty to murder regular innocent people.
What a load of utter nonsense. You pacifists make me sick. Are you completely morally bankrupt? The Nazis and the allies were the same where they? Everyone’s at fault it doesn’t matter who the aggressor is? Good luck with that you fool. I’m sure you’d love living under a facist state wouldn’t you. Your naivety is pathetic frankly.
In which case don’t parrot out these moral relativist platitudes about ww2. It very much does matter which side you’re on. The Nazis needed defeating. It wasn’t young men fighting and old mans war at all. I’ve heard that used to describe ww1 but never ww2. In fact the older politicians at the time didn’t want to go to war they tried to appease Hitler as long as possible.
The E.U is a disgrace. The war was fought to preserve the self determination of nations, not to simply abrogate it later on voluntarily. It’s a good thing Britain is leaving the EU I believe other nations will follow suit. I don’t see the need for revision of our ideas Surrounding the last war. Fascism isn’t patriotism it’s the cult of authority. Freedom is an Anglo Saxon invention, with an emphasis on the Anglo part of that phrase. The Teutonic mind is too blinkered to even understand the concept of freedom. Hence why Germany has been so pro EU.
That is why I said Anglo Saxon with the emphasis on the Anglo! The German mentality is not suited to freedom the way the British and American mentality is. They have no tradition of it, they like being told what to do. The afd do not believe in freedom they are authoritarian. You are being hoodwinked into accepting authoritarianism in the guise of anti establishmentism. It doesn’t matter about the Saxons being a northern Germanic tribe. That was a thousand years ago. The best thing that happened to this Island was the Normans giving us our law and the fact we had a parliament and a constitution centuries before any of these other pathetic countries. England has been in a poor state for a long time because of lousy leaders. We have a promising conservative government for the first since mrs Thatcher. We have left Europe because we can learn nothing from them. In Every Generation the nations of Europe have attempted to band together and form some form of consensus union that prevents freedom and it has always fallen to we British to stop it. King Phillip tried, king Louis tried, napoleon tried, the Kaiser tried, Hitler tried and the EU have tried. They are all the same. We beat them all and will continue to do so. Fascism is not a response to leftist expansionism it is another form of the same thing. It’s all socialism it’s all rather disgusting, only traditional Conservativism works and none of this populist Europeans have the faintest idea what that looks like because they haven’t seen it for hundreds of years.
this man fought and was willing to die for his country anything less than total respect is dishonorable to any veteran no matter what side they were on.
XBG Fury - I think that what cannon m meant is that this man is one of many who was willing to sacrifice himself for his country. He is just using this man as an example to say this.
Alden Buyer You seem like a scumbag. Down with the marxist order and down with communism. Germany heroically did all they could to keep the communist scum at bay.
"Naturally the German people didn't want war. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the Germany who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger" - Hermann Göring.
Its impossible to deny there was "War Fever" In Germany, in late 1930's and early 1940's, the Germans steamed through western Europe with only small casualties and the Russians retreated all across the Eastern front. Naturally the Germany people were overcome with patriotic emotions and believed they would win the war within a few short years, this soon began to wane after devastating losses in the Eastern Front and the loss of North Africa and then the subsequent invasion of Italy and France and the German retreat in the east. As soon as the Germans started having heavy losses and losing ground the German people were hoping for a quick surrender and for their boys to come home. Sadly the war was drawn out and the German people saw the brunt of it.
Even if they did willingly sign up for the armed forces. How were they to know the extent Nazi Germany would go? There is evilness on all sides of war and to proclaim one side is the most inherently evil one is a crime against all of humanity.
@penguins inadiorama One more thing. You act like the logistics of having a gas chambers is impossible. Yet, Germany built an entire military within a few years.
Remarkable man, what stories he could tell. I`m British, my son moved to Berlin 5 years ago, visit him often, love Germany, beautiful country with nice people.
I lived in Germany for a long time. What I've learned in time is to despise them! Unbelievable that 2.8 million watched this completely unnecessary video. This video is superfluous because obviously sympathies are to be awakened for a former German soldier. But no one should have sympathy for these soldiers of a felonious army! Because this felonious army was involved in various genocides and was also involved in various wars of aggression that made this genocides possible in the first place. Overall, the Nazi nation with the Nazi army is responsible for 55 million deaths and, in addition, for the destruction of many European cities and the economic ruin of many nations.
@@GreatPolishWingedHussars Keep looking for the truth, you haven't found it yet....The Polish should have been nicer to the ethnic Germans, Ukrainians, Slovaks and others in their country between 1919 and 1939; the only sensible man was Pilsudski. Instead of relying on France and Britain you could have become friends with your neighbours. So many Poles came to Germany since the 1800s and their descendants are German now, we should just have been friends.....
@@theoderich1168 A Great idea to make friends with the Nazis! Yes, to befriend those who want to exterminate you is really a great idea! By the way, Ukrainians, Slovaks and others were not a big problem for Poland. Only one nation was the problem. The Nazi nation was the very big problem! Because this nation wanted to exterminate the Poles according to their genocidal plan "Master Plan for the East" (Generalplan Ost). Because according to the insane genocidal plan "Master Plan for the East", the Nazi nation actually wanted to exterminate a large part of the Slavic population of Poland and the Soviet Union and enslave a small part after the successful conquest of the Polish and Soviet territories. That was a plan to carry out various genocides against virtually all Slavic nations.
Thank you so much for this interview and for showing his patches and medals.My grandfather was in an American armored unit so I really appreciate hearing the other side.Thank you again.
Sorry - no respect. They were Hitler's army and they committed unspeakable crimes in his name. No respect just because he appears like a benign old man. He would have killed any of you in a heartbeat when he was in service to der fuhrer.
No respect for Nazis! We are (in contrast to other countries) well educated about the German history... There´s nothing honorable about committing one of the most cruel crimes in history. Shame!!! Greetings from Germany!
We had German pow farm workers during the war in Pymatuning Township. They were polite, apologetic and not one of them displayed any fondness for the Nazis. As a matter of fact the level of hatred for Hitler they voiced was astonishing. Many stayed on after the war, they preferred the land of opportunity and liberty I suppose.
thank you for letting people know of your experiences with these men. I too have spent time speaking with some German veterans mostly with ;the gentleman in this video for years, until I became ill and couldn't write to him anymore. This video made me want to reach out to him again. I actually colorized the portrait in the video he showed. He is an honorable and religious man, who was thrown into a war with all the boys his age at the time. He survived Afrikakorps, although wounded seriously when his tank was hit several times by AT guns. Trust me when I say that towards the end and after the war, he understood why it was a good thing that Germany lost the war.
***** haha i love the people who say "I looked it up on THE GOOGLE". The google, gotta love it. But there were many German POWs where this man is from, as there were a few camps in the area.
I don't think he ever made it to the Gulag. It's said he returned home at age 21. Enlisted at 17 - first theater being Afrikacorps in 1941. That means he was 21 in 1945. The trip to Soviet Union and back would have taken a couple of years at the very least. So I think he escaped Red Army custody while still in Germany.
5 років тому+3
I suspect he got away before he entered a gulag, he sort of hinted at it when talking about the tiny compass he had, he was probably still in the soviet occupied part of germany or very close and just slipped away and started walking home.
I enjoy hearing first hand knowledge from a soldier on the opposing side. It makes you realize, or drives home the point, that these are human beings too. They have a family, just like we do and want to live just like we do.
There's a special kind of sanity, it would seem, one would have to possess in order to live so many years after experiencing such horrors. He's a blessed man, relative to what he has seen, for sure.
Grandfather served New Zealand 26th Battallion 2nd Expeditionary Force , Crete , North Africa . Didn't say alot about WW2 . The few times he did speak was of the respect he had for the Afrika Korps and Rommel . Wow what a life this German vet has had, and a good productive life after the madness of WW2.
Wonderful story! As an American with German ancestors, it's nice to see an unbiased, beautiful story of a TRUE German...with a heart & soul. He and his wife look AMAZING! I wish I knew their secrets of health & youthfulness. So glad his mother got her son back...and he was(and is)...very handsome. I still find it hard to believe that we were ALLIES with the Stalin/Red Army/Communist Regime...carpet-bombing Germany into oblivion. So sad.
@raptorcraft21 You are probably right. Nonetheless, it is a shame that half of Europe remained under totalitarianism after the Allies fought a bloody war to destroy that very thing.
6 років тому+14
You are aware that it was the brits that thought of carpet bombing right? Not that i'm taking sides, this is just a really juvenile statement.
great story. my dad landed on omaha beach during normandy invasion. he passed 4-1-13. i would give anything to have him here and tell me stories from WW2.
Ridiculous respect for Nazi soldiers! Unbelievable that 2.8 million watched this completely unnecessary video. This video is superfluous because obviously sympathies are to be awakened for a former German soldier. But no one should have sympathy for these soldiers of a felonious army! Because this felonious army was involved in various genocides and was also involved in various wars of aggression that made this genocides possible in the first place. Overall, the Nazi nation with the Nazi army is responsible for 55 million deaths and, in addition, for the destruction of many European cities and the economic ruin of many nations.
His story reminds me a lot of my grandfather, who also got captured by the Soviet army and managed to flee back to Germany and marry the girl he loved before the war started.
@@cuddlemuffin.9545 finish your school, at least kids school, before commenting anything here on UA-cam. Or wait, just comment on those fortnite videos that you're watching🤣🙈
Especially after hearing how he thought of the dead soldier that he saw. He clearly was able to get over it and that is good but I am sure at the time it was very hard to bear.
During the 8 years that i was posted to W. Germany i had the pleasure of meeting many soldiers from the second W. W. And they all had the same thoughts , we wish this would stop so we can all go home to our families . I really enjoyed my time in Germany , the people were absolutely fantastic , the country is spotlessly clean , the German people sure know how to cook and they defiantly know how to make BEER the best in the world , I sure drank enough of it , I hope some day to return and visit all of my Deutscher friends. (Falcons MC Lahr )
@Dave Leyte... Hey, just one quick question if you don't mind me asking? Back in the late 90’, I worked the 3:00 pm-11:00 pm shift in a Nursing Home. One of my co-workers that worked in Admissions ( we had plenty of time to chat because all the bosses left at 3:00 pm, except for one 3-11 Nursing Supervisor ) he was in the Army & was also Based in West Germany 🇩🇪. He, as you said, absolutely love it! And actually would go back every other year with his Wife. I'm a 47yr-old now & he was much older than me back then & like I said; this was around 96’ 97’ or so? He, like you also said; the Beer was the best in the world! But he also told me that when his Division was Based there, he was told by his Superiors; that if you drink the local Beer here? You need to make sure you're not allergic to Penicillin! Because apparently ( again this is what he told me ) that the beer is not Pasteurized like it is here in the United States & if it's on a shelf or out for long periods of time? It's possible that the beer may start getting Mouldy? Is this true or just BS? Thank you again, Dave, for sharing your experiences with us all! Oh ps, he also said exactly the same thing about how CLEAN it is there! He told me there isn't even any Junk in the Woods like old Cars used Tires, etc...
@@kenduffy5397 sorry for taking so long to reply but your friend is pulling your leg ,no such nonsense but he's right about everything else , to be honest the beer didn't last very long because it was so good ,take care .
Dave Leyte... No need for apologies, I’m thankful you got back to me, period. Thank you for your honesty. I’ve noticed on YouTupe lately everyone thinks they’re smarter than everyone else, in the comments section. I thought about your answer & you have to be right? Because I had a very dear friend of mine ( He actually saved me from myself back in 2000 while I was first going through my divorce ) & he would have mentioned that too me. Unlike you, he wasn’t in the Military. He went to W. Germany on 3 Weeks vacation ( as one can do being a Teacher & having the entire summer off ) he loved it there as well. Said the first thing that came to his mind, was how clean it was. The only complaint he had ( it's not really a complaint ) is he wished he had only gone for 2 weeks and not 3. I can see why he’d feel that way? A single guy going all by himself? He said, he absolutely loved Germany but 3 Weeks was just on the edge of being there too long. That is a long time to be in a completely different culture overseas. He also said unlike here, when he would go out to eat and have a few drinks at a Pub or Bar, it’s not like here. We’re as here, in most Pubs, Bars it's mostly all adults. But in a Pub-bar environment in Germany, most places the entire family is out having a good time. Knowing him as I do? Lol, he was probably more upset he didn’t meet a nice single German chick. Thank you, Dave
@TheWeeaboo You can generally expect a university-educated German to speak English quite well, and that's increasingly the case for less highly educated, younger Germans as well. However, someone who left school at 14 or 15 60 years ago to farm or train as a baker or blacksmith just wouldn't usually have had that much opportunity to learn English.
Wonderful video. Interviews like this are priceless, a look at history, a look at the soldier lifestyle, encouraging words for any in the armed forces or who struggle with hardship in general.
The most important things to do for us as Society is: Remember and learn remember how it began remember how it was made possible and learn how to prevent this in future . In German we have the say : "Wehret den anfängen" / "resist the beginnings"
The wicked, the cruel, the naive and the forgotten. Most soldiers were simple family members who had no choice to fight as their country needed them. May the fallen of all soldiers rest in peace
LMAO you comment that on an interview with someone who fought in the most genocidal murderous country in modern history. There are also extremely brave young men who rebel and defect against their country's dumb wars. Remember that.
Regardless who you served for, thank you for your service. You fought for what you believed in. You gave it your all. And you deserve the respect you've earned.
Very touching story! This man looked amazing for 92 with a very sharp mind and more coherent and well spoken than many of my college classmates! I doubt he's a Nazi as the Afrika Korps (1941-1943) don't seem to be part of the SS. And he's made no mention of ever being in the SS post-1943. May this man live for 10+ more years and continue to share his stories to others, especially the younger generation.
He wasn't SS. In the picture he is wearing the uniform of a German Army 1st lieutenant of the Panzer branch. He said he was a Panzer crewman until 1943, somehow made it out before Panzerarmee Afrika surrendered, and went to OCS and became a Panzer officer. He was a Tiger platoon leader, probably in one of the independent Heavy Panzer Battalions.
@@LunarLizard not all but many . ANd for the Waffen SS you should also have in mind that many soldiers would have like to be in this group because they always get better equipment, better support and often more food. So, also in the Waffen SS were Soldiers who act like fake nazis only to get these goodies. In the end their tattoo was´nt useful at all...and russians didnt discuss much when saw it......
@@jjwaters4037 In case you don't realize it, war is ugly. Have you comforted a young man killed for nothing as he dies crying for his mother? I have. Yes, I have seen the "ugly side to things" because that is the reality. Wars result from the failures of politicians. They survive but young people, some still children really, have their lives taken from them as though they were nothing.
wholeNwon I am Referring to his career path after the time he served Somebody went from being in the military during the war to becoming a doctor. Btw yes I do know what that’s like I was in the army four years.
@A mixed sandnigga Like firebombing Dresden, etc. Even Bomber Harris called himself a war criminal and pointed out the hypocrisy of the victorious in not prosecuting him. So much for "honor". And POWs are always killed/murdered on all sides.
Total respect to this gentleman. The ordeal he went through and to make a new life after the war. Good to see him having a long life and being happy with his wife.
@alyy...indeed. as a history buff, and son of a Lancaster bomber crew member, I find German ww2 history to be far more interesting than the Allies...probably due to monotonous Allied ww2 propaganda narratives'. Too bad they were fooled by that Little Corporal, and went to a recognizably 'modern hell'.
alyy j my Grandfather served in Italy during ww2 he never said a bad word about anyone he said it was war you can’t hate anyone it was there duty as well as his
This man is amazing, 92 still has his wits about him. The man was an officer in the Panzer Regiment, escaped from a Soviet POW camp, managed to get through heaven nows how many thousands of kms behind enemy lines to the safety of Germany and if that isn't enough of a remarkable story he then studied for a degree in medicine became a medical doctor then a dentist. Amazing man. Remember what he says, he knew he would survive the war, confidence in yourself is key to every obstacle you face.
@@boahkeinbockmehr They have that in some Southern States ("Southern hospitality"), but for the most part of America, we don't do it like that (unfortunately). We do love our BBQ gatherings though.
@@jakezywek6852 Yep. Some parts of Texas, Kansas, Parts of Florida, Oklohoma and Nebraska. That's about it for tornadoes. So if you do the math, over 90% of American States don't have to worry about twisters/tornadoes. Also, the population and people per capita in the 5 'tornado States' is low compared to the rest of America.
I am proud of him and glad he went on to a happy and productive life for all those that served with him and didn't come home. He did his duty and this interview shows how the German soldiers for the most part were no different from ours.
@@tonyves Yes Tony a big difference. But regular soldiers don't get to chose their wars or whether the cause is just. That is why very few regular soldiers face war crimes tribunals. It will be very different for Russian soldiers in Ukraine because they have committed widespread atrocities and will not be able to claim they were following orders.
Just being in this man's presence to hear his stories first-hand, would be an incredible honor. This man gave his country everything he had. What a remarkable human being!
“The street is no longer measured by meters but by corpses…Stalingrad is no longer a town. By day it is an enormous cloud of burning, blinding smoke; it is a vast furnace lit by the reflection of the flames. And when night arrives, one of those scorching, howling, bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the Volga and swim desperately to gain the other bank. The nights of Stalingrad are a terror for them. "
When my grandpa’s hometown got invaded. He was seriously wounded. He spoke a little indonesian and as a coincidence a german he fought against also spone indonesian. The german saw my granpa was wounded and offered him help, some bread and water. They never saw eachother again, but i know they would never fight again.
He did all that and he went home aged 21! And here I am aged 31 just watching random videos on youtube. I'm glad I've never been in a war, but then again I'll be an old man one day and I'll never have tales like this to tell.
Sometimes we have to just look at this from the perspective of an average German soldier fighting for his country and not an SS Nazi. There would’ve been major differences. Good on him for surviving and going on to live a long happy life. We have to remember that even Germans lost a lot of sons, husbands and brothers in that war because of one evil mans will.
The war was an atrocity I had uncles and a father who fought in world war II in Germany and in Japan that guy here in the interview seems like a very good guy I'm sure his family are good people
Two of my Uncle's died on D-Day USA Army, Never got the change to know them,,RIP to ALL fighting solders,You all were brave men&women, then, now&future.
In an interview with one of the surviving members of the Band of Brothers, he commented that we all (Americans & Germans) were trained to kill each other; however, he said the same man he was trained to kill could have easily been a friend in a time of peace.
I met a German soldier from ww2 in the 90s at a bed and breakfast in New Hampshire. I listened to his whole story all night long. He fought in France and gave up to the American army. He said he never saw war like that. The American planes and artillery were so accurate. I clearly remember I’m say the fire fights were not fair cause they had bolt action rifles and Americans had semi automatic garands. He knew the war was lost and did not want to die. He stayed in a basement with 8 other German soldiers and walked out once the American tanks rolled through the town. At first I was scared of him cause I thought he was a nazi but the die hard nazis were as soldiers and he had no choice but to fight. He only moved back to Germany for a year.
Damn he looks great for 92!
That is what I said
He looks 70!
my thought exactly. and he was handsome when was young. I wonder how his sons looks like
He went home after the war at age 21 so he is even older I guess. Great story
he looks like a 60 yr old from u.s.
This gentleman is over 90 years old, gone thrue WWII, inprisonment and starvation and he doesn't look a day over 70.. Remarkable!
StPaul76 We Germans age well :-)
German enginering i suppose ;D
He looks over 70, but otherwise true.
@Hillary Got screwed Please tell me, in what way is he a war criminal?
German power
His mother is now crying...and I'm guilty
What words...
Amen. Very powerful.
You can see him tearing up when me mentioned it. That shows he hasn't lost his humanity.
we are all guilty. i'm german.dostosjewskiy says we are all guilty for any bad happens on this planet. we didn't love enough.
@Jordan Sharpe Is the comma button broken on your keyboard?
@@petersmith3566 " We didn't love enough. " So wise and profound from you , sir. If the world should listen to you , peace would rule. My brother was a ship's pilot on the Panama Canal. Jack has always loved people, and enjoyed being on ship from a different country for one day, or for two, depending on the weather. His two favorite ships : Russia and China, both from Red China and from Taiwan. The officers and men always welcomed him warmly. The Russians were so poor that they used newspapers for toilet paper. On one Chinese ship, he was trying to convey instructions, and in a very kindly way. One man spoke a bit of English and translated for my brother what an officer was saying about him. The man said that my brother was "very humble." I shall take this as a great compliment. Aldo, i shall ask my wonderful Chinese son-in-law about it. Jack always has said that he believed that as one person to another, we all have more in common than not. I believe that to be true. It is often the governments who live in attack modes. Thank you, Mr. Smith, for your great understanding of the problem.
I had a German-speaking uncle who guarded German POWs in the Midwest. He said they were just regular guys as everybody else.
I sometimes think of the German sniper that my father told me about when he was with the NZ forces in Italy. My father was also a sniper and they were taking shots at each other. Every time dad missed him the German guy would wave his entrenching tool to show how far off he missed by. Humour across the lines.
thats funny lol. Youd never think of jokes like this would happen in wars. A bit like the truce at xmas in WW1.
Wow interesting to hear
Did your dad kill him
@@huh5921 No. He never talked of killing, ever.
He was deeply affected by the war all his life, but held no grudge against the German soldiers.
crazy story
He got to keep his medals? That can't have been easy. And considering he has two tank badges, three wound badges and fought in a Tiger tank... he saw more than his fair share of action. Respect.
+katchaner Swap a genuine 1939 Eisernkreuz Erste Klasse for a chunk of meaningless ZOG sanitised junkmetal? ROFL
The Blytonian
You support China and Russia? You should be deported and stropped of your citizenship.
+Talisman Saber Oh look. Another Hasbara shill with a fresh ID!
The Blytonian
What a shrill little nutter you are.
katchaner same clown as The Blytonian babbling to himself. Cant make this psycho crap up. Thumbs up lol
Really wish we had more interviews from German soldiers :/
YT channel Zeitzeugen-Portal has tonnes of interviews with veterans. But it's in German.
You’d be surprised at the undeniable truth. Unfortunately the allied powers and sympathisers have been extremely biased.
That will never happens
Sure laws AGAINST them SPEAKing
.I never knew the other side
Dont get me wrong
Its should be ok
To hear how they felt
Not that hitler on meth garbage
The whole German on meth
All I need to do
Watch the ending to see who PRODUCE
The tribe that gives u
Black-ish.kippendorf tribe
If Hitler would have surrendered sure but I sure don't and I'm sure many Russians would agree with me.
Most of them are sadly Dead died of Age or fallen in the battelfield
Actually I wish the interview was longer.
Yeah, it's really a disservice. He mentions ESCAPING FROM THE RED ARMY and there was no followup. You could probably write a whole book about this guy.
@@officialARMYclan id buy it. Id wish i could sit down with him and talk about it myself. Its important we hear these stories before they are gone
WTF. He fought against freedom and democracy.
@Zeek Banistor Hello putin troll.
@Zeek Banistor You've been getting too much backbdoor action Zeke. Exacerbating your inherent stupidity.
Why is this so short? I want more! Let this german ww2 veteran tell his Story.
Afraid of the truth to leak out
@@KevinLindegrenEEDATTEGY The real history of ww2. Not the victors propaganda version.
@Last chance Cowboy and knocked down numbers of Brits centurions and crusaders.
Try books.
@@ratatoskr1069 agreed
He got taken prisoner by the Soviets and survived? Lucky!
If you read the story. You would know. Soviet soldiers released almost all the soldiers of 3rd Reich German. Under the tribunal were only senior officers like Majors, Captains, Colonels, Generals and etc. Ordinary soldiers were released to their homes after the surrender in Berlin 1945. Some senior officers were sent to their homes after a few years after the war. It tells you, son of NKVD Officer.
+Thomas Villermann have you ever heard of Gulag? My grandfather was young and very low in the military hierarchy, still he spent 9 years in Gulag after the end of WW2. The russians kept as many as they needed to run their labor camps.
Between '41 and '45 the russians captured 3,15 million german soldiers. 1,1 millions of them died while in captivity. The other 2 millions were kept up until the "last tenthounsand" came home 1955.
So yes, the russians finally released nearly all of the prisoners, but you put it like almost all of them were
sent home right away. I am not trying to agitate against russia, it's just that your point is simply not true.
Tomas Villerman the soviets held all soldiers regardless of rank and to them the more German men they could kill the more of germany they could take and do as they please with.
Alex Bridgeman, despite German casualties in WW2 are officially estimated to be 4.3 million by the German government and up to 5.3 million by some other sources?
My grandfather's brother was taken prisoner by the Soviets as well. They took him to a gulag in Siberia where he spent years after the war until they released him. They barely had anything to eat so most ppl died from various diseases or just simple malnutrition. He actually survived because he had a leather belt so when they had nothing to eat he actually ate his belt which he shared with another guy...that saved him. It's really incredible and unimaginable to what lengths they had to go to survive.
damn this guy is 92 and seems to have pretty damn good memory not to mention how he speaks so flowingly in english aswell
+wolfhound775 He's had 92 years off Perfectting itt all. you will never get the sectrets out for we all have pride, and embarrassing moments.
+Sean O'Dwyer what I ment was that for someone of his age he speaks so flowingly not stuttering or pausing for long moments like a lot of people that age usually do
My Great Grandmother is the same she is an Ethnic German born in Poland in 1920 she is very good with her English and her memories are still clear to her
You want to give him a hand job.
wolfhound775 Germans speak fairly good English
He served honorably, survived the war, and went on to live a happy life. This makes me happy.
John Doe what do you mean he served honorably? Don’t you know what the Germans did in world war 2?
@@Bruh-bp6nn Ah, so you're one of those people who thinks every branch of the German military was the SS. If you honestly believe your average German conscript in the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, or Kriegsmarine was some political zealot, you need to learn your history. And in return I must ask, if you're so concerned with evil, why aren't you upset by our alliance with the Soviet Union? Stalin murdered more people than Hitler by a significant margin and he was our "ally".
@@MeediaArtur I'm aware.
@@johndoe5432 You are well educated my friend.
Honarably?
In 70 years I get to tell my future generation about the time we got stuck in quarantine and did absolutely nothing. lol
Worst Eric! Cry for everything
Eric, you will have go build it up! The Great Lockdown!!
And we fought Nazis......by blocking them on Twitter.
Lol their gonna crack up
Better than going to fight a war though.
Strange how despite being a part of a faction that many people hated 70 years ago, listening to him now, I can't help but have the utmost respect for the man.
Just wish the enemies we fight today would be gentlemen like this man.
+ErsteWahl Videos Inc. No one was. Not the Wehrmacht, not the Luftwaffe, not the RAF, not the British Army, not the US Army, not the USAAC, not the USMC, not the IJN, not the IJA and not the Red Army.
Everyone got their hands dirty, in one way or another.
If those people *were* gentlemen or civilized in any respect, they probably wouldn't be fighting us in the manner they do.
Only one set about murdering women and children based on racial hatred. Only one.
Jon Snow The King in the North What was it about I said that triggered you... I didn't even state anything _that_ opinionated.
General James Ironwood Hahah sorry mate, I have wrote this to people in differen topics. Congratulations for being the only one who wrote civilized back
Respect. Nothing else.
Mein heir lies truier
Do you want me to fucking poop all over you or something?
Poopy Pants Man why
@@chrischabra8004 when you cant speak German dont try it idiot !
Chris Chabra What do you Even tried saying
"My men refuse to die sir"
Hands bottle
"Ask them again after that"
Scheisse not the bottle
The fact that he literally was a crew member of a tiger tank is so cool to me
The commander
Panzer Kompanie!!!!
That's why he probably survived. He said he was the first one in the column and got hit. That tiger has so much armor, if he was in a regular panzer he would have likely died
at 01:05 you can see the memories coming back along with this feeling of guilt / sadness, which you can hear in his voice and see in his face. War is brutal
This guy got the iron cross, as well as 3 wound badges :o
-Black (3rd class, representing Iron), for those wounded once or twice by hostile action (including air raids).
-Silver (2nd class) for being wounded three or four times.
So he got wounded at least 5 times, these badges were only awarded when wounded due to hostile action. Not by falling and spraining your ankle.
Two iron cross, this means first 2nd class and than 1st class.
@Scott Laux Don't be so disrespectful to your soldiers! At least treat them good in your country, not like in mine. Greetz from Berlin.
nein nein as a German-American I’m sad to hear that
@@neinnein9306 frankreich uber alles
@@laurentiamartaux8834 n.p. :)
This is real journalism, not what you see on the television!
On television it would be edit the interview to make the point you're paid to make, and then edit in strong emotion to make it stick with the viewer's subconscious.
In deed. Sick of fake news and propaganda.
this is from television, forces tv
No its not they completely left out what capture was like and how he escaped. His friends probably didn't.
This is TV.
Thank you for doing this interview and letting this mans voice be heard
You can always see the pain in the eyes of these veterans when they remember their experiences.
@I'm Right What a shame that war was, millions of young, bright people wiped out the face of earth for no reason, Woman and Children exterminated, entire cities and ancient beautiful architecture destroyed, young boys killing each other just because they wore a different color uniform..
For war is hell.
blocked tear ducts, my friend. This man is too hard to cry.
Unbelievable that 2.8 million watched this completely unnecessary video. This video is superfluous because obviously sympathies are to be awakened for a former German soldier. But no one should have sympathy for these soldiers of a felonious army! Because this felonious army was involved in various genocides and was also involved in various wars of aggression that made this genocides possible in the first place. Overall, the Nazi nation with the Nazi army is responsible for 55 million deaths and, in addition, for the destruction of many European cities and the economic ruin of many nations.
@@francescosisto7131 ; Yep, and that vile madman Putin is doing the same thing!
My Father was a Sargent in a US Army Combat Engineer Battalion and was in D Day, The Bulge, Luxembourg, Germany, and finally Austria. He told me of all of his accounts during that time and mentioned that he had respect for the soldiers of the German Army. I think that it is very important that we hear how it was on the other side as well.
Yes it is
Wow, all of the battles? Respect.
Unfortunately it’s a bit harder to find stories of the other side since most are either dead or inprisoned
@@blonk3515 Sadly that's the case in most instances.
The other side dragged women by there hair into the gas chambers then threw the children in after them.
This guy is just an ordinary guy who joined the army too serve his country like any other soldier from any nation. This guy was not in the SS.
@Dissenting Tirade Normal men led by horrible people who corrupted the men under their rule. Many "normal" men did horrible things because of the influence of the poisonous people leading them. They were all infected with a disgusting ideology that needed to be destroyed, the Wehrmacht did not have those same people or ideology in their ranks, they conducted war with as much dignity as any of the other players in the war.
@Dissenting Tirade Sure, they were all forced to become Nazis. Except they were not. Fucking fool.
Neptuneflyer What was disgusting about their ideology? Please elaborate
@Dissenting Tirade Not all SS were killing innocent people but the ones who did are NOT heroes of any kind or patriots. They were criminals. I can confidently say I would shoot any officer that ordered me to shoot a child or an innocent woman or man...damn the consequences.
@@N3ptuneflyer Yes disgusting ideology, a lot like progressivism and left wing liberalism. Suppress freedom of speech, control the message. Shame outliers and rebels. Much like liberal American universities.
Finally a word from the other side, usually you typically get the allied stories. Thank you for sharing.
92? Jesus. I'm 38 next month and I can barely remember high school.
I'm 16 and I can barely remember what happened last year.
This is not something you forget easily
Because a war has the same correlation as a shitty school program...
Flashbulb memories.
if you would went through the Things he did, you would remember
I don't care what you say, that man is true patriot and hero.
Instead what should he had to do?....I like if people jabber arrogant and have zero knowledge about the time and personal situations...
The comparison is always a topic, as long as an atrocity is discussed.
Satans Toe Tango Nazi war crimes*
The Wehrmacht were drafted, what they did they were ordered to do. The Wehrmacht were not bad people. Their leaders were.
YellowBlue RC Exactly. Plus, "history is written by the victors," the allied forces committed plenty of atrocities you won't find in the history books. The US and the Nazis were both guilty of war crimes.
+YellowBlue RC
Waffen SS was a branch of SS you imbecile, Jesus Christ you did not even know that?
tankarchives.blogspot.no/2014/08/carius-interview.html
www.spiegel.de/international/germany/rape-murder-and-genocide-nazi-war-crimes-as-described-by-german-soldiers-a-755385-2.html
What a Charming Gentleman 🌹🌹🌹🇩🇪 God Bless Him 🌹
Not so charming while murdering women and children.
Criss Cross the Africa corps didn’t commit crimes like that. There was nobody around but the British.
Not every German soldier murdered and plundered. Some knew they just had a job to do. And didn’t take any liberty to murder regular innocent people.
Criss Cross that’s ignorant statement
@@compoturn1029 your a racist
Tavish *You’re
War is hell, no matter which side you are on. And remember, young men die fighting old men's wars.
What a load of utter nonsense. You pacifists make me sick. Are you completely morally bankrupt? The Nazis and the allies were the same where they? Everyone’s at fault it doesn’t matter who the aggressor is? Good luck with that you fool. I’m sure you’d love living under a facist state wouldn’t you. Your naivety is pathetic frankly.
@@TheSealOfTheRose Pacifist? I served in the Australian Army for 15 years. Infantry Soldier in 6RAR.
In which case don’t parrot out these moral relativist platitudes about ww2. It very much does matter which side you’re on. The Nazis needed defeating. It wasn’t young men fighting and old mans war at all. I’ve heard that used to describe ww1 but never ww2. In fact the older politicians at the time didn’t want to go to war they tried to appease Hitler as long as possible.
The E.U is a disgrace. The war was fought to preserve the self determination of nations, not to simply abrogate it later on voluntarily. It’s a good thing Britain is leaving the EU I believe other nations will follow suit. I don’t see the need for revision of our ideas Surrounding the last war. Fascism isn’t patriotism it’s the cult of authority. Freedom is an Anglo Saxon invention, with an emphasis on the Anglo part of that phrase. The Teutonic mind is too blinkered to even understand the concept of freedom. Hence why Germany has been so pro EU.
That is why I said Anglo Saxon with the emphasis on the Anglo! The German mentality is not suited to freedom the way the British and American mentality is. They have no tradition of it, they like being told what to do. The afd do not believe in freedom they are authoritarian. You are being hoodwinked into accepting authoritarianism in the guise of anti establishmentism. It doesn’t matter about the Saxons being a northern Germanic tribe. That was a thousand years ago. The best thing that happened to this Island was the Normans giving us our law and the fact we had a parliament and a constitution centuries before any of these other pathetic countries. England has been in a poor state for a long time because of lousy leaders. We have a promising conservative government for the first since mrs Thatcher. We have left Europe because we can learn nothing from them. In Every Generation the nations of Europe have attempted to band together and form some form of consensus union that prevents freedom and it has always fallen to we British to stop it. King Phillip tried, king Louis tried, napoleon tried, the Kaiser tried, Hitler tried and the EU have tried. They are all the same. We beat them all and will continue to do so. Fascism is not a response to leftist expansionism it is another form of the same thing. It’s all socialism it’s all rather disgusting, only traditional Conservativism works and none of this populist Europeans have the faintest idea what that looks like because they haven’t seen it for hundreds of years.
this man fought and was willing to die for his country anything less than total respect is dishonorable to any veteran no matter what side they were on.
Idk about that, some conscripts and regular men weren't good people, but this guy seems OK.
The Enlisted man is Rarely anything Short of a Good and Honest Man.
This is True for Near Every Army Man has Made.
cannon m 90 percent of soldiers were willing to die for their country this man is nothing special
XBG Fury - I think that what cannon m meant is that this man is one of many who was willing to sacrifice himself for his country. He is just using this man as an example to say this.
Alden Buyer You seem like a scumbag. Down with the marxist order and down with communism. Germany heroically did all they could to keep the communist scum at bay.
"Naturally the German people didn't want war. That is understood. But,
after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the Germany who determine the policy and
it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a
democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the
bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM
THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger" - Hermann Göring.
Its impossible to deny there was "War Fever" In Germany, in late 1930's and early 1940's, the Germans steamed through western Europe with only small casualties and the Russians retreated all across the Eastern front. Naturally the Germany people were overcome with patriotic emotions and believed they would win the war within a few short years, this soon began to wane after devastating losses in the Eastern Front and the loss of North Africa and then the subsequent invasion of Italy and France and the German retreat in the east. As soon as the Germans started having heavy losses and losing ground the German people were hoping for a quick surrender and for their boys to come home. Sadly the war was drawn out and the German people saw the brunt of it.
inTHEwrongGENERATION
Unarmed civilians stood no chance against the Germans. Hardly makes them heroes and certainly did not bring them victory.
The germans loved war.. As long as it wasn't their country getting brutalized.
Hans S
Ya, like I said. Germans are completely fine with people being slaughtered as long as it's not them.
From 1933 to 1939 they were all forced to attend the military parades?
60 years is so awesome. God bless this wonderful couple. God bless our German friends.
Well, In their time they didn't divorce a lot and he's a dentist. A wealthy hard working man, no woman would let him down.
He is blessed, a lot of men never made it out of War. 🤝
Imagine getting drafted into the military and was forced to fight
And then people call you as "the evil men"
Even if they did willingly sign up for the armed forces. How were they to know the extent Nazi Germany would go? There is evilness on all sides of war and to proclaim one side is the most inherently evil one is a crime against all of humanity.
@penguins inadiorama One more thing. You act like the logistics of having a gas chambers is impossible. Yet, Germany built an entire military within a few years.
Poser Dragon of course, by people in the same situation, who aren’t the definition of innocent themselves...
Poser Dragon history is written by the victors (even though no one won, everyone lost)...
That's happening in korea
A true soldier
Just finished reading the Forgotten Soldier. How anyone survived and lead an ordinary life after that is humbling.
That book was very moving, especially at the end when he told his friend Hals to wait for him, he'd be right back and he never saw him again.
Remarkable man, what stories he could tell. I`m British, my son moved to Berlin 5 years ago, visit him often, love Germany, beautiful country with nice people.
I have known all of germans in my life and they are good people more polite some.
I lived in Germany for a long time. What I've learned in time is to despise them! Unbelievable that 2.8 million watched this completely unnecessary video. This video is superfluous because obviously sympathies are to be awakened for a former German soldier. But no one should have sympathy for these soldiers of a felonious army! Because this felonious army was involved in various genocides and was also involved in various wars of aggression that made this genocides possible in the first place. Overall, the Nazi nation with the Nazi army is responsible for 55 million deaths and, in addition, for the destruction of many European cities and the economic ruin of many nations.
By the way, Brit, that you like German so much fits in with your behavior of earlier times. So to the betray on Poland in 1939!
@@GreatPolishWingedHussars Keep looking for the truth, you haven't found it yet....The Polish should have been nicer to the ethnic Germans, Ukrainians, Slovaks and others in their country between 1919 and 1939; the only sensible man was Pilsudski.
Instead of relying on France and Britain you could have become friends with your neighbours. So many Poles came to Germany since the 1800s and their descendants are German now, we should just have been friends.....
@@theoderich1168 A Great idea to make friends with the Nazis! Yes, to befriend those who want to exterminate you is really a great idea! By the way, Ukrainians, Slovaks and others were not a big problem for Poland. Only one nation was the problem. The Nazi nation was the very big problem! Because this nation wanted to exterminate the Poles according to their genocidal plan "Master Plan for the East" (Generalplan Ost). Because according to the insane genocidal plan "Master Plan for the East", the Nazi nation actually wanted to exterminate a large part of the Slavic population of Poland and the Soviet Union
and enslave a small part after the successful conquest of the Polish and Soviet territories. That was a plan to carry out various genocides against virtually all Slavic nations.
hm, he returned at the age of 21 and was already more of a man than i am at the age of almost 30.
You wouldn't like it.
@Mercury Grand Marquis you are below.
Killing people does not make you a man.
@Antonio Perales del Hierro Don't agree but that was funny
@Antonio Perales del Hierro got the point
I'm 50 years old I sure hope I look and sound that good when I'm 92 which I don't feel like I'll ever be there
You just might make it. ;)
Have faith
I hope I do too. But I doubt I will.
Thank you so much for this interview and for showing his patches and medals.My grandfather was in an American armored unit so I really appreciate hearing the other side.Thank you again.
We need to hear these stories from both sides. Delighted that such a remarkable man survived such horrors.
The fighting some of these German soldiers endured is unbelievable.Much respect
and the Vietnamese?
were you in the military as well sir?
Sorry - no respect. They were Hitler's army and they committed unspeakable crimes in his name. No respect just because he appears like a benign old man. He would have killed any of you in a heartbeat when he was in service to der fuhrer.
@@rasputin1338 oh yeah? You think the Russians or Japanese were any better
No respect for Nazis! We are (in contrast to other countries) well educated about the German history... There´s nothing honorable about committing one of the most cruel crimes in history. Shame!!!
Greetings from Germany!
"finish this bottle of cognac, then ask them again"
*squads finishes bottle*
"Fuggit, for the fuhrer.... :/"
Same with the Soviets.
@@user_____M except with vodka lol
LMAOOOO I was looking for this comment and you did not disappoint!
Such a lovely well kept home, pastries on the table for their guests and a beautiful yard out the window. What a wonderful place and people.
We had German pow farm workers during the war in Pymatuning Township. They were polite, apologetic and not one of them displayed any fondness for the Nazis. As a matter of fact the level of hatred for Hitler they voiced was astonishing.
Many stayed on after the war, they preferred the land of opportunity and liberty I suppose.
thank you for letting people know of your experiences with these men. I too have spent time speaking with some German veterans mostly with ;the gentleman in this video for years, until I became ill and couldn't write to him anymore. This video made me want to reach out to him again. I actually colorized the portrait in the video he showed. He is an honorable and religious man, who was thrown into a war with all the boys his age at the time. He survived Afrikakorps, although wounded seriously when his tank was hit several times by AT guns. Trust me when I say that towards the end and after the war, he understood why it was a good thing that Germany lost the war.
*****
Tell me son, is your google broken?
***** look up camp Reynolds if your google is fixed
***** haha i love the people who say "I looked it up on THE GOOGLE". The google, gotta love it. But there were many German POWs where this man is from, as there were a few camps in the area.
Anders Dahl
Hey whacko, who ar you talking too?
Very nice hearing the German side. There should be more of these as time is running out . Thank you.
We need more of this interview....including how he *escaped* the Soviet Gulag and made it back to Germany!
I don't think he ever made it to the Gulag.
It's said he returned home at age 21. Enlisted at 17 - first theater being Afrikacorps in 1941.
That means he was 21 in 1945. The trip to Soviet Union and back would have taken a couple of years at the very least.
So I think he escaped Red Army custody while still in Germany.
I suspect he got away before he entered a gulag, he sort of hinted at it when talking about the tiny compass he had, he was probably still in the soviet occupied part of germany or very close and just slipped away and started walking home.
As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me
Is a good film but the authenticity of the story is questionable. Nevertheless it's worth seeing.
You wont get more interviews; because there are "People" who need the Germans to remain Monsters for their own Political Agendas. All about the Money
grimmsterification thats pretty close to what happened to him. He did indeed escape captivity
I enjoy hearing first hand knowledge from a soldier on the opposing side. It makes you realize, or drives home the point, that these are human beings too. They have a family, just like we do and want to live just like we do.
There's a special kind of sanity, it would seem, one would have to possess in order to live so many years after experiencing such horrors. He's a blessed man, relative to what he has seen, for sure.
"War is where the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other" - Niko Bellic, GTA IV
You missed the part about killing civilians, whose deaths often outnumber those of the soldiers.
@@jsmariani4180 you mean trolling civilians
@@jsmariani4180 we do a bit of trolling
back in these days people were FORCED. idk about germany, but americans didnt have a say in the matter.
War is Hell !!! War is Horrific !!!!!
War is Like France !! Once U go there U Never, want 2 go Back !!!!;!
Grandfather served New Zealand 26th Battallion 2nd Expeditionary Force , Crete , North Africa . Didn't say alot about WW2 . The few times he did speak was of the respect he had for the Afrika Korps and Rommel . Wow what a life this German vet has had, and a good productive life after the madness of WW2.
thanks for your service
You're mad.
@@Zopiexx why
@@YungIsyan Thank his service for what exactly? Servicing the N@zi war machine?
@@YungIsyan Answer my question. Or you got no answer.
@@Zopiexx Whats your question?
Wonderful story! As an American with German ancestors, it's nice to see an unbiased, beautiful story of a TRUE German...with a heart & soul. He and his wife look AMAZING! I wish I knew their secrets of health & youthfulness. So glad his mother got her son back...and he was(and is)...very handsome. I still find it hard to believe that we were ALLIES with the Stalin/Red Army/Communist Regime...carpet-bombing Germany into oblivion. So sad.
They were allies with Stalin too - 1939 until 1941
probably can't be viewed legally in Germany today.
Valerie Griner, if Churchill had his way, Stalin would have been next on the chopping block after Hitler, but they kicked him out.
@raptorcraft21 You are probably right. Nonetheless, it is a shame that half of Europe remained under totalitarianism after the Allies fought a bloody war to destroy that very thing.
You are aware that it was the brits that thought of carpet bombing right? Not that i'm taking sides, this is just a really juvenile statement.
Thank you for your service!
great story. my dad landed on omaha beach during normandy invasion. he passed 4-1-13. i would give anything to have him here and tell me stories from WW2.
Respect to this German soldier he's telling his incredible story it's not always about the British and Americans....
Ridiculous respect for Nazi soldiers! Unbelievable that 2.8 million watched this completely unnecessary video. This video is superfluous because obviously sympathies are to be awakened for a former German soldier. But no one should have sympathy for these soldiers of a felonious army! Because this felonious army was involved in various genocides and was also involved in various wars of aggression that made this genocides possible in the first place. Overall, the Nazi nation with the Nazi army is responsible for 55 million deaths and, in addition, for the destruction of many European cities and the economic ruin of many nations.
@@GreatPolishWingedHussarsCan’t argue with that.
@@cheapcraftygirlsweepstakes2338
OK! Thanks! Greetings from Poland!
@@GreatPolishWingedHussars Yeah because every soldier was a nazi....
There are also extremely brave young men who rebel and defect against their country's dumb wars. Remember that.
No more brothers wars!!
Shelby Hughes Couldn't agree more.
+Shelby Hughes
Hitler allied with Stalin then he betrayed him !
The USSR fed and fuelled Hitler's war machine 1939-41.
+Shelby Hughes Always reassuring to have a mentally ill Neo Nazi somewhere on the planet
not an argument
How was this a brothers war?
Nazi Germany had occupied Europe, we had to go there and kick butt.
His story reminds me a lot of my grandfather, who also got captured by the Soviet army and managed to flee back to Germany and marry the girl he loved before the war started.
Lovely! Heroic in all regards
Imagine being proud that your grand father was a nazi.... what has the world become
@@Hi-vo9ku he served the nazi regime lmao
@@cuddlemuffin.9545 finish your school, at least kids school, before commenting anything here on UA-cam. Or wait, just comment on those fortnite videos that you're watching🤣🙈
@@cuddlemuffin.9545 It's weird to me that the people who actually fought the Germans never say anything like "Your Grandfather was a Nazi!".
He looks fantastic. Not at all like a 92 year old man, a war veteran from so long ago.
He’s german and comes from the national socialist period where appearance was everything of course he looks fantastic lol
a nazi who will rot in hell
Avi Gindratt it’s Zionist globalists like you and Epstein who will rot in hell. God bless the national socialists who resisted your evil.
@@humanforfreedom9583 resist DEEZ NUTZ
@Red Devil Imagine defending Nazis
The set, so simply designed, to focus on the soldier and his story. Nicely done!
And still has his own teeth!, amazing man - much respect
I think he was a Dentist...
@ronald baden....quite notable....
Much respectable people.
He's a dentist. 😅
A lot of hate in the comments. You forget that he's just the same as any other veteran of WWII.
Especially after hearing how he thought of the dead soldier that he saw. He clearly was able to get over it and that is good but I am sure at the time it was very hard to bear.
He is a nazi
@@watchdogsgamerbobiswatchdo8379 And you're a brainwashed idiot....
NAZI
@@Marcopolo12as You say that like it's a bad thing....
I hope he is alive and doing well!!!
@@dante6055 what actions? He fought honourably and bravely for his country. You will never be half the man he is.
@@dante6055 You watch too much TV, the man in this video wasn’t even a Nazi.
@@dante6055 You still haven’t told me what actions he should regret, what the hell did this man do to put your panties in such a twist? 😂
@@dante6055 He won't have known about the holocaust
During the 8 years that i was posted to W. Germany i had the pleasure of meeting many soldiers from the second W. W. And they all had the same thoughts , we wish this would stop so we can all go home to our families . I really enjoyed my time in Germany , the people were absolutely fantastic , the country is spotlessly clean , the German people sure know how to cook and they defiantly know how to make BEER the best in the world , I sure drank enough of it , I hope some day to return and visit all of my Deutscher friends. (Falcons MC Lahr )
Dave Leyte... Everything you just said is 110% true.
@Dave Leyte... Hey, just one quick question if you don't mind me asking? Back in the late 90’, I worked the 3:00 pm-11:00 pm shift in a Nursing Home. One of my co-workers that worked in Admissions ( we had plenty of time to chat because all the bosses left at 3:00 pm, except for one 3-11 Nursing Supervisor ) he was in the Army & was also Based in West Germany 🇩🇪. He, as you said, absolutely love it! And actually would go back every other year with his Wife. I'm a 47yr-old now & he was much older than me back then & like I said; this was around 96’ 97’ or so? He, like you also said; the Beer was the best in the world! But he also told me that when his Division was Based there, he was told by his Superiors; that if you drink the local Beer here? You need to make sure you're not allergic to Penicillin! Because apparently ( again this is what he told me ) that the beer is not Pasteurized like it is here in the United States & if it's on a shelf or out for long periods of time? It's possible that the beer may start getting Mouldy? Is this true or just BS? Thank you again, Dave, for sharing your experiences with us all! Oh ps, he also said exactly the same thing about how CLEAN it is there! He told me there isn't even any Junk in the Woods like old Cars used Tires, etc...
@@kenduffy5397 sorry for taking so long to reply but your friend is pulling your leg ,no such nonsense but he's right about everything else , to be honest the beer didn't last very long because it was so good ,take care .
Dave Leyte... No need for apologies, I’m thankful you got back to me, period. Thank you for your honesty. I’ve noticed on YouTupe lately everyone thinks they’re smarter than everyone else, in the comments section. I thought about your answer & you have to be right? Because I had a very dear friend of mine ( He actually saved me from myself back in 2000 while I was first going through my divorce ) & he would have mentioned that too me. Unlike you, he wasn’t in the Military. He went to W. Germany on 3 Weeks vacation ( as one can do being a Teacher & having the entire summer off ) he loved it there as well. Said the first thing that came to his mind, was how clean it was. The only complaint he had ( it's not really a complaint ) is he wished he had only gone for 2 weeks and not 3. I can see why he’d feel that way? A single guy going all by himself? He said, he absolutely loved Germany but 3 Weeks was just on the edge of being there too long. That is a long time to be in a completely different culture overseas. He also said unlike here, when he would go out to eat and have a few drinks at a Pub or Bar, it’s not like here. We’re as here, in most Pubs, Bars it's mostly all adults. But in a Pub-bar environment in Germany, most places the entire family is out having a good time. Knowing him as I do? Lol, he was probably more upset he didn’t meet a nice single German chick. Thank you, Dave
first try some of the Dutch beers, ;)
God Bless him, the soldiers that fought with him, and the soldiers he fought against.
besides the fact that he look super good in shape for a 90 + year old guy, its even more impressive for him to speak english that great!
@TheWeeaboo The germans are known for not speaking english well? They are actually known for speaking English very well in Europe Haha
@TheWeeaboo You can generally expect a university-educated German to speak English quite well, and that's increasingly the case for less highly educated, younger Germans as well. However, someone who left school at 14 or 15 60 years ago to farm or train as a baker or blacksmith just wouldn't usually have had that much opportunity to learn English.
@TheWeeaboo English is mandatory from 3rd grade on in Germany.
@TheWeeaboo Yeah, it's funny - and like you say, "they don't want to speak English." That's not the same as "Germans do not speak English well."
Just listen how his voice wavers when telling of when the realisation of the guilt of his first kill kicked in!
wally mason Funny, I thought the war was started by Hitler demanding more and more territory and playing chicken with the British and French.
Wonderful video. Interviews like this are priceless, a look at history, a look at the soldier lifestyle, encouraging words for any in the armed forces or who struggle with hardship in general.
I love people like this on BOTH sides
The most important things to do for us as Society is:
Remember and learn
remember how it began
remember how it was made possible
and learn how to prevent this in future .
In German we have the say : "Wehret den anfängen" / "resist the beginnings"
The wicked, the cruel, the naive and the forgotten. Most soldiers were simple family members who had no choice to fight as their country needed them. May the fallen of all soldiers rest in peace
Such a treasure to have these interviews
Much respect to this tremendous patriot and soldier.
wvusmc Yes
LMAO you comment that on an interview with someone who fought in the most genocidal murderous country in modern history. There are also extremely brave young men who rebel and defect against their country's dumb wars. Remember that.
Regardless who you served for, thank you for your service. You fought for what you believed in. You gave it your all. And you deserve the respect you've earned.
This old man speaks better english than 95% of german politicians.
You mean Jewish politicians.
He speaks from the heart about looking into the eyes of a young soldier, he understood what he had just done, and still war goes on !
Very touching story! This man looked amazing for 92 with a very sharp mind and more coherent and well spoken than many of my college classmates! I doubt he's a Nazi as the Afrika Korps (1941-1943) don't seem to be part of the SS. And he's made no mention of ever being in the SS post-1943.
May this man live for 10+ more years and continue to share his stories to others, especially the younger generation.
Not all German soldiers where nazis but some morons seem to think they all were
He wasn't SS. In the picture he is wearing the uniform of a German Army 1st lieutenant of the Panzer branch. He said he was a Panzer crewman until 1943, somehow made it out before Panzerarmee Afrika surrendered, and went to OCS and became a Panzer officer. He was a Tiger platoon leader, probably in one of the independent Heavy Panzer Battalions.
@@LunarLizard not all but many . ANd for the Waffen SS you should also have in mind that many soldiers would have like to be in this group because they always get better equipment, better support and often more food. So, also in the Waffen SS were Soldiers who act like fake nazis only to get these goodies. In the end their tattoo was´nt useful at all...and russians didnt discuss much when saw it......
so what if he was a natzee?
not like they were any worse than the communists or the other allies........
More coherent than USA's president
Man survived a war became a doctor and helped people get better was married and had a family lived a peaceful life...this is truly beautiful
Would have been more "beautiful" had his life not included killing others.
wholeNwon people serving their nations And I’m sorry you see the ugly side to things
@@jjwaters4037 In case you don't realize it, war is ugly. Have you comforted a young man killed for nothing as he dies crying for his mother? I have. Yes, I have seen the "ugly side to things" because that is the reality. Wars result from the failures of politicians. They survive but young people, some still children really, have their lives taken from them as though they were nothing.
wholeNwon I am Referring to his career path after the time he served Somebody went from being in the military during the war to becoming a doctor. Btw yes I do know what that’s like I was in the army four years.
@A mixed sandnigga Like firebombing Dresden, etc. Even Bomber Harris called himself a war criminal and pointed out the hypocrisy of the victorious in not prosecuting him. So much for "honor". And POWs are always killed/murdered on all sides.
"It Doesn't Matter If We Die Or Not" Best Quote Ever Made
Good you made it through the war.I respect you, you are a hero
Total respect to this gentleman. The ordeal he went through and to make a new life after the war. Good to see him having a long life and being happy with his wife.
I always find wwii German soldiers interesting more than any other soldiers of that time..
@alyy...indeed. as a history buff, and son of a Lancaster bomber crew member, I find German ww2 history to be far more interesting than the Allies...probably due to monotonous Allied ww2 propaganda narratives'. Too bad they were fooled by that Little Corporal, and went to a recognizably 'modern hell'.
Please watch "The Greatest Story Never Told" and "Europa - The Last Battle" then
alyy j my Grandfather served in Italy during ww2 he never said a bad word about anyone he said it was war you can’t hate anyone it was there duty as well as his
they're called nazis
@@avigindratt7608 yeah bro nazis arent human am i right
That is an amazing story....thanks.
Beatiful interview. I really enjoyed! Greetings from Chile
This man is amazing, 92 still has his wits about him. The man was an officer in the Panzer Regiment, escaped from a Soviet POW camp, managed to get through heaven nows how many thousands of kms behind enemy lines to the safety of Germany and if that isn't enough of a remarkable story he then studied for a degree in medicine became a medical doctor then a dentist. Amazing man. Remember what he says, he knew he would survive the war, confidence in yourself is key to every obstacle you face.
Beautiful European hospitality with the cakes and pastries on the table.
Don't you do the same in America? Here there is always coffee and cake (pretty much our pendant to the English tea time) when guests come over.
@@boahkeinbockmehr
They have that in some Southern States ("Southern hospitality"), but for the most part of America, we don't do it like that (unfortunately). We do love our BBQ gatherings though.
@@JudahMaccabee_ And you have big scary tornadoes.
@@jakezywek6852 Yep. Some parts of Texas, Kansas, Parts of Florida, Oklohoma and Nebraska. That's about it for tornadoes. So if you do the math, over 90% of American States don't have to worry about twisters/tornadoes. Also, the population and people per capita in the 5 'tornado States' is low compared to the rest of America.
@@JudahMaccabee_ Yeah, I sort of intended the Tornado comment to reference the Southern States.
I am proud of him and glad he went on to a happy and productive life for all those that served with him and didn't come home. He did his duty and this interview shows how the German soldiers for the most part were no different from ours.
They were fighting for the gassing of Jews, we were fighting for their freedom. No difference?
@@tonyves Yes Tony a big difference. But regular soldiers don't get to chose their wars or whether the cause is just. That is why very few regular soldiers face war crimes tribunals. It will be very different for Russian soldiers in Ukraine because they have committed widespread atrocities and will not be able to claim they were following orders.
I am from austria and i'm glad to see that you guy in the comments do not think that we are all monsters
Just being in this man's presence to hear his stories first-hand, would be an incredible honor. This man gave his country everything he had. What a remarkable human being!
Tell that to the JEWS
“The street is no longer measured by meters but by corpses…Stalingrad is no longer a town. By day it is an enormous cloud of burning, blinding smoke; it is a vast furnace lit by the reflection of the flames. And when night arrives, one of those scorching, howling, bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the Volga and swim desperately to gain the other bank. The nights of Stalingrad are a terror for them. "
When my grandpa’s hometown got invaded. He was seriously wounded. He spoke a little indonesian and as a coincidence a german he fought against also spone indonesian. The german saw my granpa was wounded and offered him help, some bread and water. They never saw eachother again, but i know they would never fight again.
its very interesting.... and where is your grandpa's hometown btw ?
Yea wheres your grandpa from ?
tbh I never even knew Germany fought Indonesia. what war was this, exactly?
@@arachnonixon They didn't, I think Laurens might just be a moron.
Simples I believe it was not german but dutch. Not 100% sure but that is the most relatable. Sorry for my fellow Indonesian mistake.
Was very Happy to read all the polite and positive comments.
He did all that and he went home aged 21! And here I am aged 31 just watching random videos on youtube. I'm glad I've never been in a war, but then again I'll be an old man one day and I'll never have tales like this to tell.
If you never experience war first hand consider your self very blessed
No glory in war & purposeful death
A life of peace is the best story to tell
Then again what do we really have to tell other people, nothing much happens nowadays which is really presents an ambiguous situation.
Sometimes we have to just look at this from the perspective of an average German soldier fighting for his country and not an SS Nazi. There would’ve been major differences. Good on him for surviving and going on to live a long happy life.
We have to remember that even Germans lost a lot of sons, husbands and brothers in that war because of one evil mans will.
One evil man ??! That's a far too simplicistic, over romanticised and frankly speaking, appallingly wrong thing to say.
@@downtoearth5443 I agree but not all Germans were complicit.
Salute and Respect. Can imagine what he must have gone through and so glad he survived and been married for so long. A hero
The war was an atrocity I had uncles and a father who fought in world war II in Germany and in Japan that guy here in the interview seems like a very good guy I'm sure his family are good people
Thank you for sharing this, I'm always fascinated to hear from the Germans and what they had to endure.
Now its more fascinating to hear from Russian pow, they had to endure so much....
Two of my Uncle's died on D-Day USA Army, Never got the change to know them,,RIP to ALL fighting solders,You all were brave men&women, then, now&future.
In an interview with one of the surviving members of the Band of Brothers, he commented that we all (Americans & Germans) were trained to kill each other; however, he said the same man he was trained to kill could have easily been a friend in a time of peace.
I think it was Shifty who said that.
correct!!
That is the irony of war.
Respect, he fought for his country like anyone of us would step up if the situation demanded
I met a German soldier from ww2 in the 90s at a bed and breakfast in New Hampshire. I listened to his whole story all night long. He fought in France and gave up to the American army. He said he never saw war like that. The American planes and artillery were so accurate. I clearly remember I’m say the fire fights were not fair cause they had bolt action rifles and Americans had semi automatic garands. He knew the war was lost and did not want to die. He stayed in a basement with 8 other German soldiers and walked out once the American tanks rolled through the town. At first I was scared of him cause I thought he was a nazi but the die hard nazis were as soldiers and he had no choice but to fight. He only moved back to Germany for a year.