Imagine... You kill a soldier, you know you had to, but still you regret it. Then, an entire lifetime later, you get an email from his grandson, basically forgiving you. Imagine the load off of that man's shoulders. Imagine the strength and the opportunity of the grandson to forgive. The amount of suffering and lives lost on either side is unaimaginable.
It is difficult to imagine the horrors of war, and while they are sometimes necessary, they should never be taken lightly. The grandson of a German soldier demonstrated empathy in his understanding of the situation. I pray God gives everybody peace that surpasses all understanding
So the German machine gunner likely fought in the Eastern Front. How many civilians did he kill? He was not a hero but likely a True Believer in the Nazi horrors
@@georgekrausse3801 Stalin never said that. It was in a Book called "Black Obelisk" which was originally published in 1956, 3 years after Stalin had died.
@@Kpoole35 was it a fiction book? A fabrication? Because a quotation being published posthumously doesn't mean it was not said by him... although I have no opinion on it; it does seem a bit apocryphal.
Thank you for this touching story. The fact that Mr.Hensleigh kept Mr. Rieks photos for so long shows that this incident haunted him. He was very fortunate to have contact with the familiy of his former enemy and be able to make peace with them.
Yes, gracias for this video, history that is so important. Bless all our ppl, near & abroad. We're all human n connected through life. Paz be with us all 🙏. "Isa"
Many stories lost... My mother's "first love" was a bombardier, from Australia, and was killed on a raid over Brest...she visited his grave once, but I found another piece of his story in an article about a Lancaster bomber wreck being recovered in about 2010, the very bomber that he was in that day... Little vignettes of lives lived and lost ..
@rlelesi All Gave Some. Some Gave All. One had bonespurs.....of course we know it wasn't your great uncle may he RIP and be remembered everyday....especially on Memorial Day and Veterans Day!!! 🇺🇲 Freedom ain't never been free......and heroes don't wear capes but they do wear dogtags! Thanks for sharing his story and keeping his memory alive!
@CrocodileTear what a touching story. The German soldier’s grandson, very understanding of the positions both soldiers were in. I had a grandfather who served in WW1, as small children we never spoke to him very much as he was very deaf plus a scary thing such as war wasn’t discussed. Later on we found that he suffered from PTSD then called “shell shock”. We didn’t know what “job” he did during the war. My Mom didn’t know neither did her siblings. Mom died not knowing that her father worked undercover on “fishing boats” outfitted with sonar and ammunition to take out submarines. It was only within the past 12 years or so while researching my genealogy, that I discovered this. So I did tell my siblings and my Mom’s sister and gave her a book that she could look through ( her memory isn’t the best) I’m in my mid 60’s and she is almost 90.
so cool to hear my great grandfather and great grandmother on my dads side served in world war 1 my great grandmother was a nurse my great grandfather was actually one year too young to serve in world war one but a year after he became a pilot and probably fought in some battles he never did tell his wife, son, or my father what he went through. being a 3-6 year old i only ever got to see him a few times and only have three distinct memories of him id never understand the PTSD and loss he suffered both as a young kid and even now having not experienced war but i have huge respect for him and his brother for not only serving in world war 1 (hisbrother was one year too ld for the drafct in the first world war but still served) but also serving in world war 2
Thanks for posting this. I know others have commented on the interaction and forgiveness and closure between families and vets, but I am impressed that you were really responsible for setting it in motion. Another thing that I really appreciated is that you were able to document the story from so many angles; first hand and diary accounts and military records. Truly fascinating and touching. Thanks again.
Oh my god. Thank you so much for the hint to the grave search. I've just found my grandma's brother who went missing in 1944. 80 years of not knowing what happened and now we finally have a trace. I had no idea this search existed. Thank you!
When I tell you this is hands down the best documentary of this topic I may have ever seen on UA-cam. Letting the men tell their story while showing videos of how their childhoods looked is incredibly powerful. I can’t wait to see the next one.
There's a movie script here, you got tell a little different story, you can have the German soldier trying to surrender, and in German. " Don't kill me I have a family "" of course American soldier had no idea, and he whent home thinking for 70 years he murdered this German, he came back a bad man a bad dad, until he returned the album to the still living wife, and now he has complete closure, 😊😊, of course there's more to the story, Clint Eastwood would be great, make it a tearjerker, cause you really felt bad for this soldier thinking he murdered a man, and of course he didn't, at the end of the war both sides weren't taken prisoners of War it was really brutal GOD BLESS THESE HEROES, 😇😇😇😇
Extraordinary research. You have rescued for history and posterity an event which otherwise would have been lost forever. I am sure all of the soldiers involved in this small action would be very grateful that you have at last told the story of their tremendous sacrifice for their countries. And the film is a great reminder, as you say, of the foolishness of war when we would otherwise be friends in different circumstances. This is a great lesson to ponder currently.
Fantastic work! What a sad but at the same time incredible story that really puts the second world war (or any war) into perspective. These were all human beings, they all had there own lives with families back home - with friends, hobbies, hopes and dreams. One should never forget that these regular soldiers were all regular people - for the most part. Again, thank you so much for sharing this beautiful film about your research! Best regards from Norway! 😊
@@ww2historyandreenacting True the were both human being but German speaking human beings in majority considered themselves Ubermensch and commited unspeakable atrocities. Poland, Greece, Serbia were most massacred countries. In Poland alone Germans and its allied managed to kill up to 6 million citizens - this is equal to population of Norway today. So there is no equality between perpetrators and victims or Allied troops killing German troops fighting for evil Third Reich. It was not "normal" country and what most striking is that majority of troops were not members of NSDAP - German National Socialist Party.
Words cannot describe how amazing this video is! Extremely detailed and well done, sir! I have yet to watch anything that really brought the war home to me as this did. It’s heartbreaking to realize the millions of stories out there similar to this because of it. Rest in peace to all soldiers on both sides!
I agree" you'd think we all would have learned something" but I'm not giving up yet" stories like this are educating young people I'm sure of it" so maybe there's hope yet....with abit of luck right?
Stories like this are AMAZING. Seems surreal. I was born less than 8 years after this event. Reading this leaves me sad that after all these decades, humans are still slaughtering each other in mindless Wars. Thank you for your incredible tenacity/work of finding stories such as this to share with millions.
I am so glad you took the time on this superb work. Having details like this brings those dark days to life that we may better understand them. My uncle was a BAR man in the Battle of the Bulge and went through tremendous combat and suffering. He was not the same when he came back from the war and shared very little of what he went through. It was only after his death that a war buddy of his contacted me and shared some of the combat they went through together. I would never have known. Thank you again.
When I think of all the hours and hours of UA-cam videos I've watched, very little even comes close to the impact of this 21 minutes. Thank you for this amazing and poignant story.
I suppose family can look back at now because of all that's been written about that era. We can appreciate how different the world could've been if the Allies hadn't won. I also think that Thank God the Allies won so myself and my children could lead free lives.
@@juliaforsyth8332 You got to be kidding me. The war had nothing to do with your freedom other than letting bolshevikism go worldwide. The results are in and the wrong side clearly won the war. Look around
@davidb2206 No. Most Europeans would have been relegated to a lower class of humanity and enslaved to serve the "superior" Aryan race. Children born with the slightest defect would be euthanized. The Jews, Romanis, Gays, Jehovah Witnesses, people of Poland, Ukraine, people of differing views would all have been cruelly murderer. Is that how you see a pure Europe?
@@danielebrparish4271 I’m 🇬🇧 & part 🇺🇦 but my American ex showed me just how bad your education system is. He would constantly mix upper & lower case letters, couldn’t do cursive writing at all & he was dumb as a rock. His general knowledge and things I’d teach to 3.5 -11 year olds we completely missing. I teach & 2 of my pet hates are homophones and greengrocers’s disease, random apostrophes where they shouldn’t be 😂Unfortunately he also thought he was far superior and was an expert in everything 🙄
@@lilacscentedfushias1852 It boggles my mind how native English speakers appear to know very little about their own language. English is my second language & yet i'm left dumbfounded by the grammar & spelling errors being committed by native English speakers. Not knowing the difference between 'your' and 'you're' is my #1 pet peeve. Another one is not knowing the difference between 'there', 'their' and 'they're'. I could go on & on.
@@lilacscentedfushias1852the fact that you think you can get an idea about a country’s education system based on one dumb person you used to date says plenty about your own intelligence. Also comical that, being part Ukrainian, you would insult with such vitriol the citizens of a country that are sending such a large percentage of their own hard-earned money to aid in defense. I’m sure these stereotypes and mass generalizations about an incredibly diverse country you espouse based on your ex are right, though.
Thank you for this excellent report. As a German I can confirm that we do learn a lot about this dark part of German history. The letter that the grandson wrote, assuring the soldier of having no grudge, was great. He has a wonderful attitude. It is important to keep history alive so that it will not be repeated.
It is a good thing that you have learned not to attack other countries but it is sad that you like us swedes and other european people have forgot that we have a duty to defend our countries and are letting our enemies take over.
such a very sad story and closure to the families of their loved ones. My dad was a Lt. under George Patton in the Battle of the Bulge. He came back with bronze, silver and two purple hearts, became an alcoholic and confined to himself in a room that referred to as his radio room of HAM radios talking to other service men from Germany and America. Barely held down any jobs, my mom basically raised us 3 kids. I remember growing up he never would talk about the war. I'm sure the drinking and all was WWII era PTSD. I have all the letters in multiple boxes that he would write to my mom while they were dating and married while he was off at war. The letters are brutal descriptions of what he saw and went through and it had to be terrifying for all. War is just so sad and I never really knew my dad even though we were under the same roof. He had a military burial and I have the flag that draped the casket and all his medals and ribbons along with all the WWII photos of him in Germany and France. Thanks for sharing this story.
My dad was a 19-year-old soldier in the Philippines during World War II. He killed many Japanese soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. They were trying to kill him. He rarely talked about it. I never asked. I just listened. I think he had a lot of undiagnosed PTSD. We were fortunate that he was a mild mannered man, and a loving father. He just internalized everything.
@@PauloPereira-jj4jv Those “soldiers” were not experienced. They stuck them in the jungles, not trained, nor equipped and told them to kill Americans. Some didn’t have guns. They had make shift spears. Prior to my father going over there, he was trained. He started out as a MP transporting American POWs. He drove big earth moving trucks through the jungles. The Japanese would swing into the trucks from the trees. He would either fight them off by hand or shoot them off the truck. A 19-year-old boy in the 1940s is not the same as the wimpy beta 19-year-old boy we have these days.
@@PauloPereira-jj4jv apparently you must have been raised inside your safe zone. a 19 year old can be a bloody killer. Maybe go to Mexico and see a 14 year old cartel boy with a long list of body count.
@@PauloPereira-jj4jvBoth Japanese and Filipinos are very small in stature, very much a possibility That and the Philippines is mostly extremely thick jungle
Thank you ever so much for this valuable word. It brought involuntary tears to my face when reading the second email Georg Rieck's grandson sent to Henze to make sure the old man rested assured that no one hated him, but felt compassionate to him and all sent into war. Will we ever learn ? So far, we haven't. Seeing the misery which war inflicted and how it influenced the next two generations deeply may help us to come to our senses. Again, merci beaucoup from Germany.
One of my neighbors Dad was in WWII. He recalled a time when he killed a German soldier and took his helmet. He was surprised and shocked to find a picture of the soldiers girlfriend in it. This made it more personal for him.
These pictures of loved ones are the most personal thing imaginable. I have a picture of my great-grandmother, it says on the back "Im Feld 1915-1918", it was the very picture that my great-grandfather carried in his pocket in the trenches of WWI. This picture is very dear to me, as it was the one that probably kept him going, that he took out and looked at while being in living hell to keep somewhat sane. Luckily he survived and brought the picture home himself, because he only fathered my grandma after the war. ❤️
Thank you Dr. Gassend for sharing this poignant story. Excellent research on your part. I'm glad Lt. Hensleigh was able to communicate w/ the German soldier's grandson and provide the family with the wedding pictures he'd taken from the soldier's body. I found myself wondering if the German soldier's daughter might still be alive and able to enjoy the pictures of her parents. She'd probably be 79-80 years old.
What an amazing job you've done here. My Grandfather survived WW2 and only spoke of it a couple of times. War is man's insanity on parade and I wish peace to all who want it.
I found myself near tears at the end. To all of those who know what such loss is, smile when you can and cry if you have to. S. Stoddard former Co. C 2/75th Ranger Airborne
The quality of your research and presentations is exceptional. I am glad, I found this channel. Having a 10 months old daughter myself it is heartbreaking, that the fathers were never able to hold their children in their hands. I think it is important that during today´s wars we still keep stories like this one in mind. No matter how much the media demonises on party of a conflict, the people fighting also have family and loved ones.
For those who were Jewish I doubt any of them would've lived long enough to make friends with anyone. There's also the problem of Germany and Italy never being able to get rid of their strong arm dictators and building a peaceful democracy. Too bad Russia changed sides and got stuck with a dictatorship like a 3rd world country.
Excellent video, that gives the family closure. My mother too never saw her father. A New Zealander, he was a bomber pilot for 51 Sqdrn RAF and was buried in Scotland. She is now 84 and feels his loss even more strongly now than she did when she was a child.
What cemetery is he in may I ask? I have no doubt he is visted and remembered. There are a few Commonwealth War graves including a Kiwi one in a village cemetery in Scotland where I have family, I always pay my respects when I go. ❤️
I would like to add that World War II has cost the lives of uncountable numbers of civilians, meaning women, children and old people. unfortunately warfare isn’t just a fight soldiers versus soldiers anymore but is mostly and intentionally directed towards civilians.
@@JaguarPriest Yes, WW1 set the stage for WW2 and today's conflicts. If you get time, listen to UA-cam videos from Sabaton, a Swedish heavy metal band, if you haven't already. Their most current two albums are only about WW1 events and people: The Great War and The War To End All Wars. Millions of people have listened to their songs, and as seen on UA-cam, many video makers react to their songs, as well as just make videos about WW1. I was lucky enough to go to Northern France last year to see the part of the Somme battlefield where the Red Baron was shot down. Like other visitors noted, once was not enough to take it all in, so I went again this year. The number of cemeteries filled with soldiers is simply overwhelming, and in every little town there is a memorial and more cemeteries, soldiers and civilians. "The Price of a Mile" is about Passchendale; "Christmas Truce" is about the 1914 impromptu cease fire because Christmas was "more important than war" to the German troops who got the truce started. "Cliffs of Gallipoli" is just heartbreaking. I didn't know anything about the ANZAC troops. Both albums (all their albums) are great, and they also have a Sabaton History Channel. All this means that WW1 is becoming a new, viral topic. Check out all the reactors who have reacted to Sabaton's songs. Listening to these songs have spurred so many people to want to learn more about WW1. Best Regards!
I can imagine the family members stumbling on your channel and watching every detail of those events. I know hardly anything about my grandparents. It's a well made documentary. Thank you.
Thank you for your very interesting research and for caring about these soldiers no matter what side they were on. May all their souls RIP. You are all remembered
Just incredible my friend Your channel popped up and I’m so glad I watched it. I find what you do incredibly incredibly inspiring. I’m 56 and this story brought tears to face. I am astonished you are able to find these people and bring these families together. Thanks for giving me several videos to watch
What a heart wrenching story of the effects of war upon families. I've never been moved so much by a historical narrative. Please keep up the good work.
Excellent account of the needless horror of war and devastation of families. My father fought in the Pacific (at 19 yrs. old) and had PTSD for the rest of his life due to kamikazes attacks .
My father was a marine in the Pacific at the Ryku Islands. He has severe PTSD and so bad I never new him. I understand why he was never right. So many of us were deprived of our service warriors familys torn apart . I respect their fight and duty.
Excellent account of two men who should never have had to face one another as combatants. This helps us appreciate how events experienced during the war remain fresh in soldiers' minds even decades afterward. Thank you for your informative research.
This loss in the families creates long-lasting trauma. The last words had been hard to swallow and made my heart feel heavy and weighed down, due to the told story and due to incidents in the wider range of the family and my own experience. Thanks for your interest in history and for showing the results to a broader public audience.
This was so interesting, and I appreciate how much you researched both sides of this encounter. I'm even more amazed at the incredible reaction of the family. Thank you for sharing this!
watching the video of the Lt, it reminds me of all the WW2 vets I conversed with @ the VAMC. That long term care room was a flashback where I heard many stories just like his. RIP Lt.
As a Veteran I know terrible things happen in war. My Dad also fought in the Korean War and he rarely spoke of his combat experience as many war veterans are reluctant too. But despite what happens in war and combat there seems to be a flicker of light of humanity and hope that one day all will be reconciled in time and as we know Father Time heals all wounds. Thank you for sharing this story!!
Thank you for posting this story of real events that occurred during the war. My father and uncles, fought in both theaters during WW2. My father was with the 5th Marines in the Pacific. He always avoided talking about the war. I once asked him about terrible looking burn scars on his left shoulder, his neck and why he was deaf in his ear. His terse response was, white phosphorous, quickly changing the subject. My uncle Vic, did tell me one time, that the most scared he had ever felt, was while sheltering behind a Sherman tank, when it was knocked out by a German 88. He said that 88 was blowing the hell out of everything coming up that road. I discovered, while making arrangements for his interment at Quantico National Cemetery, that Uncle Vic was a T/5 in the Corps of Engineers, and that he was decorated for his actions in the Ardeness Campaign, better known as the Battle of the Bulge. The Army engineers helped win this battle, by blowing bridges to prevent the Germans from reaching the Muse River, in their drive towards Antwerp. I believe many men who've experienced actual combat, carry the trauma with them throughout their lives. They find their memories too painful, to desire talking about them.
Wow! Fabulous video, one of the best I've seen on UA-cam. Thank you very much for creating and posting this. Every man killed, in every battle of of every war, was someone's son, brother, father, or grandfather. Or maybe just a friend. Each death is a family tragedy. Learning their names and hearing their stories brought it all to life today for me. And it made me cry.
@@andydunn5673well no, it was the first time. In WW1, Germany JOINED the ongoing conflict between Austria and Serbia on Austria’s side as ally, which let Russia, UK and the other parties join too. At that time, every European nation was ready and eager for a war. WW2 was triggered by the contract of Versailles which made Germany the initiator of WW1 and responsible for all reparation costs. German people were fed up with that unfair contract they were forced to sign and people started revolting. Easy for Hitler to get them into another war. If there would not be the contract of Versailles, hitler would have had no chance to get anyone to war. Do your research.
@@andydunn5673 He had no choice but to go,or he would probably have been put into a camp as many German dissenters were, and we all know about them . Ordinary people do not start war's, they fight and die in them, the men who start them, never fight in them. There are many reasons for war's, we are never told the true reason's.
Thanks for sharing this, amazing how much information was retained about something that was quite a small contact, for those who where not present of course. Charles
Great video! Merci beaucoup for having the interest and passion for telling the stories of these men, their fate and highlighting stories from a front that might have otherwise been forgotten.
The German war machine was a very disciplined smooth operating bureaucratic system. When a German soldier was wounded, sick, captured, or killed his parents and spouse would receive a detailed summary report of the events. The bodies of German soldiers were reburied in cemeteries on the Eastern and Western Fronts or transported back to Berlin, unless frontlines became captured territories by the enemies. They were very meticulous about honoring their dead. *This letter is a reflection of that. Remember Herr Feldwebel's friend was just a young soldier himself, and look how detailed and specific this letter is reporting the circumstances of Herr Feldwebel's death to his wife and parents. The soldier that wrote this at the end of the war was very young. My Dad was in the Korean War, but I had many relatives in WW2. One uncle in the Battle of the Bulge. Another Uncle in the Pacific. I've done interviews with WW2 vets. One a D-Day Utah Beach survivor, who died just a few years ago, RIP, Joe Miner. He was 94. He was in Patton's army. A Hitler Youth, (still alive in his 90's), was liberated at age 16 by Montgomery's army.
Usually the CO send a more formal and less detailed letter. it is rarer for a friend to have sent a highly detailed and sincere letter such as here. US families in most cases never received anything more than the official telegram. That is why US families are often clueless about what happened. Richmonds family though he had been killed by a flamethrower while parachuting into France....
I echo all the great comments posted about your fantastic research, your ability to bring an event and the soldiers back to life, as well as your presentation style and narration! Just terrific!
How tragic the deaths on both sides. I can't help remember what Darrell "Shifty" Powers once said: "We might have had a lot in common. He might've liked to fish, you know, he might've liked to hunt. Of course, they were doing what they were supposed to do, and I was doing what I was supposed to do but under different circumstances, we might have been good friends."
“We’ll never know why he kept on fighting when he knew the war was lost” It sounds like he loved his men, and was trying to get them out alive. That’s why he kept fighting in the ambush surely.
@@rpm12091 Not every German was fanatic just because he was a German. Some were simply forced into the ranks, as Russian soldiers are today. May mankind some day find a way to bury the Universal Soldier and settle a peace!
A story that personalizes the war, amazing detail. Thank you. My father served in the USArmy 11th armored division and fought from the Ardennes to Austria. He said very little about his experience.
This is an excellent video, really bringing to light the experiences of what it was like to fight during this time. Also excellent is your work to contact the surviving relatives of the German soldier.
My German Granduncle was killed in an unknown way in Suhl (Thüringen). The special thing about this story is, that the Americans came on the left side and the Russians from the right. My family didn't know for about 10 or 15 years about his death. He was "missing" somewhere in Europe. This thought about meeting the killer (or a related person of him) of your ancestor is so deeply sad and terrifying. May all soldiers from all times find peace in heaven... 😢
wow, a powerful story with heroism and tragedy on all sides. thank you for sharing. My grandfather served in the US 3rd army in europe and kept many things from the war, but died when i was very young. There is a brief german diary with the name of a soldier listed but i've had no luck tracking him down. His, wife, my grandmother lost her first fiance in the Hurtgen forest. She has also long since passed but My aunt remembered the fiance's first name. With just that, and a few hours of research, i was able to find out who he was. He landed in the first wave on Omaha Beach on D-Day and was likely in near constant combat until his death. I was able to track down his great nephew who shared his picture with me which gave me some closure. I commend you for going above and beyond in telling this story and keeping the memories of these men alive.
Thank you very much for sharing and all of your hard work. I am always interested in the history of soldiers during World War II and the lives that they lead.
Imagine... You kill a soldier, you know you had to, but still you regret it. Then, an entire lifetime later, you get an email from his grandson, basically forgiving you. Imagine the load off of that man's shoulders. Imagine the strength and the opportunity of the grandson to forgive. The amount of suffering and lives lost on either side is unaimaginable.
Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. Not the person who is being forgiven. That's possibly the most valuable lesson I've ever learned.
It is difficult to imagine the horrors of war, and while they are sometimes necessary, they should never be taken lightly. The grandson of a German soldier demonstrated empathy in his understanding of the situation. I pray God gives everybody peace that surpasses all understanding
So the German machine gunner likely fought in the Eastern Front. How many civilians did he kill? He was not a hero but likely a True Believer in the Nazi horrors
@@nitamay3534wars are never necessary.
"we defeated the wrong enemy" 5 star U.S general, George S. Patton. 1945
then he was assasinated in a "car accident"
It’s been said that one death is a tragedy, but 10,000 deaths is a statistic. This story is a perfect example of that truth.
I heard about a similar quotation , have to been said once by Stalin : " one death is a tragedy , but one million is but a statistic "
@@georgekrausse3801How else can a human see a tragedy ?
@@georgekrausse3801 True. Stalin said it.
@@georgekrausse3801 Stalin never said that. It was in a Book called "Black Obelisk" which was originally published in 1956, 3 years after Stalin had died.
@@Kpoole35 was it a fiction book? A fabrication? Because a quotation being published posthumously doesn't mean it was not said by him... although I have no opinion on it; it does seem a bit apocryphal.
Thank you for this touching story. The fact that Mr.Hensleigh kept Mr. Rieks photos for so long shows that this incident haunted him. He was very fortunate to have contact with the familiy of his former enemy and be able to make peace with them.
In every soldier there is a little boy, his experience will turn him into a Man.
Yes, gracias for this video, history that is so important. Bless all our ppl, near & abroad. We're all human n connected through life. Paz be with us all 🙏. "Isa"
They weren't our enemies like our government called up our men so did Germany and you had no choice but to fight.
Many stories lost... My mother's "first love" was a bombardier, from Australia, and was killed on a raid over Brest...she visited his grave once, but I found another piece of his story in an article about a Lancaster bomber wreck being recovered in about 2010, the very bomber that he was in that day... Little vignettes of lives lived and lost ..
War is tragedies
did you you ever show your mother the article?
Brest is home to a huge navy base (to this day).
@rlelesi All Gave Some. Some Gave All. One had bonespurs.....of course we know it wasn't your great uncle may he RIP and be remembered everyday....especially on Memorial Day and Veterans Day!!! 🇺🇲 Freedom ain't never been free......and heroes don't wear capes but they do wear dogtags! Thanks for sharing his story and keeping his memory alive!
ww2 = christians vs christians.... while the synagogue banks profits
@CrocodileTear what a touching story. The German soldier’s grandson, very understanding of the positions both soldiers were in. I had a grandfather who served in WW1, as small children we never spoke to him very much as he was very deaf plus a scary thing such as war wasn’t discussed. Later on we found that he suffered from PTSD then called “shell shock”. We didn’t
know what “job” he did during the war. My Mom didn’t know neither did her siblings. Mom died not knowing that her father worked undercover on “fishing boats” outfitted with sonar and ammunition to take out submarines. It was only within the past 12 years or so while researching my genealogy, that I discovered this. So I did tell my siblings and my Mom’s sister and gave her a book that she could look through ( her memory isn’t the best) I’m in my mid 60’s and she is almost 90.
so cool to hear
my great grandfather and great grandmother on my dads side served in world war 1
my great grandmother was a nurse
my great grandfather was actually one year too young to serve in world war one but a year after he became a pilot and probably fought in some battles
he never did tell his wife, son, or my father what he went through. being a 3-6 year old i only ever got to see him a few times and only have three distinct memories of him
id never understand the PTSD and loss he suffered both as a young kid and even now having not experienced war
but i have huge respect for him and his brother for not only serving in world war 1 (hisbrother was one year too ld for the drafct in the first world war but still served) but also serving in world war 2
This story is a tear jerker. Im an ex-Marine who served in Vietnam and this story really got to me. Thank you for posting this.
I'm a Marine as well (04-08): thank you for your service.
(Communism is the worse)
I have 4 brothers who are Marines, and they always said there are no ex-Marines! Once a Marine, always a Marine... are they right?
@@Gwen-wo9xn he means he is a retired marine
🫡🇱🇻
tedd1091,
There is no such thing as an ex-Marine.
Semper Fi!
A story that must touch everyones heart. The sadest thing is, that 80 years later is a war again and similar sad storys happen day by day.
Another fascinating story, Jean-Loup. Thanks for working on this for so many years... you brought closure to the families.
Amazing job putting all that together - you've shown war at its most personal level.
Thanks for posting this. I know others have commented on the interaction and forgiveness and closure between families and vets, but I am impressed that you were really responsible for setting it in motion. Another thing that I really appreciated is that you were able to document the story from so many angles; first hand and diary accounts and military records. Truly fascinating and touching. Thanks again.
Oh my god. Thank you so much for the hint to the grave search. I've just found my grandma's brother who went missing in 1944. 80 years of not knowing what happened and now we finally have a trace. I had no idea this search existed. Thank you!
When I tell you this is hands down the best documentary of this topic I may have ever seen on UA-cam. Letting the men tell their story while showing videos of how their childhoods looked is incredibly powerful. I can’t wait to see the next one.
There's a movie script here, you got tell a little different story, you can have the German soldier trying to surrender, and in German. " Don't kill me I have a family "" of course American soldier had no idea, and he whent home thinking for 70 years he murdered this German, he came back a bad man a bad dad, until he returned the album to the still living wife, and now he has complete closure, 😊😊, of course there's more to the story, Clint Eastwood would be great, make it a tearjerker, cause you really felt bad for this soldier thinking he murdered a man, and of course he didn't, at the end of the war both sides weren't taken prisoners of War it was really brutal GOD BLESS THESE HEROES, 😇😇😇😇
@@user-bl6ne3hc6n You can't place blame on someone !
Extraordinary research. You have rescued for history and posterity an event which otherwise would have been lost forever. I am sure all of the soldiers involved in this small action would be very grateful that you have at last told the story of their tremendous sacrifice for their countries. And the film is a great reminder, as you say, of the foolishness of war when we would otherwise be friends in different circumstances. This is a great lesson to ponder currently.
Fantastic work! What a sad but at the same time incredible story that really puts the second world war (or any war) into perspective. These were all human beings, they all had there own lives with families back home - with friends, hobbies, hopes and dreams. One should never forget that these regular soldiers were all regular people - for the most part. Again, thank you so much for sharing this beautiful film about your research! Best regards from Norway! 😊
@@ww2historyandreenacting True the were both human being but German speaking human beings in majority considered themselves Ubermensch and commited unspeakable atrocities. Poland, Greece, Serbia were most massacred countries. In Poland alone Germans and its allied managed to kill up to 6 million citizens - this is equal to population of Norway today. So there is no equality between perpetrators and victims or Allied troops killing German troops fighting for evil Third Reich. It was not "normal" country and what most striking is that majority of troops were not members of NSDAP - German National Socialist Party.
Words cannot describe how amazing this video is! Extremely detailed and well done, sir! I have yet to watch anything that really brought the war home to me as this did. It’s heartbreaking to realize the millions of stories out there similar to this because of it. Rest in peace to all soldiers on both sides!
also tragic that this continues to happen everyday. especially again in Europe. :-(
I agree" you'd think we all would have learned something" but I'm not giving up yet" stories like this are educating young people I'm sure of it" so maybe there's hope yet....with abit of luck right?
After watching horrific videos of drones killing soldiers in the Ukraine conflict, I am left wondering who will tell their stories.
not the SS TROOPS - THEY WERE MURDERERS
Stories like this are AMAZING. Seems surreal. I was born less than 8 years after this event. Reading this leaves me sad that after all these decades, humans are still slaughtering each other in mindless Wars. Thank you for your incredible tenacity/work of finding stories such as this to share with millions.
I am so glad you took the time on this superb work. Having details like this brings those dark days to life that we may better understand them. My uncle was a BAR man in the Battle of the Bulge and went through tremendous combat and suffering. He was not the same when he came back from the war and shared very little of what he went through. It was only after his death that a war buddy of his contacted me and shared some of the combat they went through together. I would never have known. Thank you again.
When I think of all the hours and hours of UA-cam videos I've watched, very little even comes close to the impact of this 21 minutes. Thank you for this amazing and poignant story.
Wow! As a combat veteran, the response from the grandson gave me cold chills! What a wonderful family and out come! Great work Sir
I suppose family can look back at now because of all that's been written about that era. We can appreciate how different the world could've been if the Allies hadn't won. I also think that Thank God the Allies won so myself and my children could lead free lives.
@@juliaforsyth8332 Yeah, Europe would still be for Europeans.
@@davidb2206 Absolutely correct! 👍
@@juliaforsyth8332 You got to be kidding me. The war had nothing to do with your freedom other than letting bolshevikism go worldwide. The results are in and the wrong side clearly won the war. Look around
@davidb2206 No. Most Europeans would have been relegated to a lower class of humanity and enslaved to serve the "superior" Aryan race. Children born with the slightest defect would be euthanized. The Jews, Romanis, Gays, Jehovah Witnesses, people of Poland, Ukraine, people of differing views would all have been cruelly murderer. Is that how you see a pure Europe?
Theres a song about a soldier going to fight in the civil war. His father told him, " Be brave , but show mercy when you can". What a line.
Do you know or have the name of this song?
@victorverdi6919 written by Alison Krauss...forget the name of the song
@@ksrmk Thanks.
Bright Sunny South, by Alison Krauss & Union Station
@@scottc543 Thank you kindly.
Thank you for this fine post. It totally humanizes the soldiers & what they had to endure under the most stressful of circumstances.
What strikes me is how well written Gehart Hofig's letter is. A lost art in this day and age.
Not in most E.U. countries. Their public scholls are far superior to ours.
@@danielebrparish4271 I’m 🇬🇧 & part 🇺🇦 but my American ex showed me just how bad your education system is. He would constantly mix upper & lower case letters, couldn’t do cursive writing at all & he was dumb as a rock. His general knowledge and things I’d teach to 3.5 -11 year olds we completely missing. I teach & 2 of my pet hates are homophones and greengrocers’s disease, random apostrophes where they shouldn’t be 😂Unfortunately he also thought he was far superior and was an expert in everything 🙄
@@lilacscentedfushias1852 Resting on others laurels , obscures vision . Have to strain to see through the haze of reality .
@@lilacscentedfushias1852
It boggles my mind how native English speakers appear to know very little about their own language. English is my second language & yet i'm left dumbfounded by the grammar & spelling errors being committed by native English speakers. Not knowing the difference between 'your' and 'you're' is my #1 pet peeve. Another one is not knowing the difference between 'there', 'their' and 'they're'. I could go on & on.
@@lilacscentedfushias1852the fact that you think you can get an idea about a country’s education system based on one dumb person you used to date says plenty about your own intelligence. Also comical that, being part Ukrainian, you would insult with such vitriol the citizens of a country that are sending such a large percentage of their own hard-earned money to aid in defense. I’m sure these stereotypes and mass generalizations about an incredibly diverse country you espouse based on your ex are right, though.
Thank you for this excellent report. As a German I can confirm that we do learn a lot about this dark part of German history. The letter that the grandson wrote, assuring the soldier of having no grudge, was great. He has a wonderful attitude. It is important to keep history alive so that it will not be repeated.
It is a good thing that you have learned not to attack other countries but it is sad that you like us swedes and other european people have forgot that we have a duty to defend our countries and are letting our enemies take over.
A lot of people don’t know that the Germans accepted losses of 1%-3% during live firing exercises. An ignominious way to go.
The understanding and forgiveness was remarkable. Bless their family. Their grandfather was very brave and dutiful.
Every culture has a dark past we need to learn from history so we don't repeat it
Lessons learned when you are in a war do not lose.
such a very sad story and closure to the families of their loved ones. My dad was a Lt. under George Patton in the Battle of the Bulge. He came back with bronze, silver and two purple hearts, became an alcoholic and confined to himself in a room that referred to as his radio room of HAM radios talking to other service men from Germany and America. Barely held down any jobs, my mom basically raised us 3 kids. I remember growing up he never would talk about the war. I'm sure the drinking and all was WWII era PTSD. I have all the letters in multiple boxes that he would write to my mom while they were dating and married while he was off at war. The letters are brutal descriptions of what he saw and went through and it had to be terrifying for all. War is just so sad and I never really knew my dad even though we were under the same roof. He had a military burial and I have the flag that draped the casket and all his medals and ribbons along with all the WWII photos of him in Germany and France. Thanks for sharing this story.
My dad was a 19-year-old soldier in the Philippines during World War II. He killed many Japanese soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. They were trying to kill him. He rarely talked about it. I never asked. I just listened. I think he had a lot of undiagnosed PTSD. We were fortunate that he was a mild mannered man, and a loving father. He just internalized everything.
A 19-year old boy killed several experienced japanese in hand-to-hand combat...? 🤔
@@PauloPereira-jj4jv Those “soldiers” were not experienced. They stuck them in the jungles, not trained, nor equipped and told them to kill Americans. Some didn’t have guns. They had make shift spears. Prior to my father going over there, he was trained. He started out as a MP transporting American POWs. He drove big earth moving trucks through the jungles. The Japanese would swing into the trucks from the trees. He would either fight them off by hand or shoot them off the truck. A 19-year-old boy in the 1940s is not the same as the wimpy beta 19-year-old boy we have these days.
@@PauloPereira-jj4jv apparently you must have been raised inside your safe zone. a 19 year old can be a bloody killer. Maybe go to Mexico and see a 14 year old cartel boy with a long list of body count.
@@frebnewman6403 Nahh stop explaining to an idiot bro..
@@PauloPereira-jj4jvBoth Japanese and Filipinos are very small in stature, very much a possibility
That and the Philippines is mostly extremely thick jungle
For everything lost, something beautiful remains. Peace to both of these wonderful families and thank you for sharing this most compelling story.
Thank you ever so much for this valuable word. It brought involuntary tears to my face when reading the second email Georg Rieck's grandson sent to Henze to make sure the old man rested assured that no one hated him, but felt compassionate to him and all sent into war. Will we ever learn ? So far, we haven't. Seeing the misery which war inflicted and how it influenced the next two generations deeply may help us to come to our senses. Again, merci beaucoup from Germany.
One of my neighbors Dad was in WWII. He recalled a time when he killed a German soldier and took his helmet. He was surprised and shocked to find a picture of the soldiers girlfriend in it. This made it more personal for him.
These pictures of loved ones are the most personal thing imaginable. I have a picture of my great-grandmother, it says on the back "Im Feld 1915-1918", it was the very picture that my great-grandfather carried in his pocket in the trenches of WWI. This picture is very dear to me, as it was the one that probably kept him going, that he took out and looked at while being in living hell to keep somewhat sane. Luckily he survived and brought the picture home himself, because he only fathered my grandma after the war. ❤️
Thank you Dr. Gassend for sharing this poignant story. Excellent research on your part. I'm glad Lt. Hensleigh was able to communicate w/ the German soldier's grandson and provide the family with the wedding pictures he'd taken from the soldier's body. I found myself wondering if the German soldier's daughter might still be alive and able to enjoy the pictures of her parents. She'd probably be 79-80 years old.
Rieck's son was alive and well at the time I did the research.
I have been watching your presentations for a couple of years now. Your work is absolutely stunning in research and depth. Simply amazing!
You're a good man with great soul. Thank you for your channel .
Thank you for your tireless research, and for keeping history alive. Invaluable!
Thank you for sharing this story of war and humanity.
What an amazing job you've done here. My Grandfather survived WW2 and only spoke of it a couple of times. War is man's insanity on parade and I wish peace to all who want it.
I found myself near tears at the end. To all of those who know what such loss is, smile when you can and cry if you have to. S. Stoddard former Co. C 2/75th Ranger Airborne
The quality of your research and presentations is exceptional. I am glad, I found this channel. Having a 10 months old daughter myself it is heartbreaking, that the fathers were never able to hold their children in their hands. I think it is important that during today´s wars we still keep stories like this one in mind. No matter how much the media demonises on party of a conflict, the people fighting also have family and loved ones.
I often wonder if there were no war how many friendships could have been friends. No one wins in war, everyone looses
For those who were Jewish I doubt any of them would've lived long enough to make friends with anyone. There's also the problem of Germany and Italy never being able to get rid of their strong arm dictators and building a peaceful democracy. Too bad Russia changed sides and got stuck with a dictatorship like a 3rd world country.
Excellent video, that gives the family closure. My mother too never saw her father. A New Zealander, he was a bomber pilot for 51 Sqdrn RAF and was buried in Scotland. She is now 84 and feels his loss even more strongly now than she did when she was a child.
What cemetery is he in may I ask? I have no doubt he is visted and remembered. There are a few Commonwealth War graves including a Kiwi one in a village cemetery in Scotland where I have family, I always pay my respects when I go. ❤️
That is the tragedy of war. Soldiers of opposing armies kill each other.
I would like to add that World War II has cost the lives of uncountable numbers of civilians, meaning women, children and old people. unfortunately warfare isn’t just a fight soldiers versus soldiers anymore but is mostly and intentionally directed towards civilians.
@@Celisar1let's not forget world war 1 like everyone seems to do
@@JaguarPriest Yes, WW1 set the stage for WW2 and today's conflicts. If you get time, listen to UA-cam videos from Sabaton, a Swedish heavy metal band, if you haven't already. Their most current two albums are only about WW1 events and people: The Great War and The War To End All Wars. Millions of people have listened to their songs, and as seen on UA-cam, many video makers react to their songs, as well as just make videos about WW1. I was lucky enough to go to Northern France last year to see the part of the Somme battlefield where the Red Baron was shot down. Like other visitors noted, once was not enough to take it all in, so I went again this year. The number of cemeteries filled with soldiers is simply overwhelming, and in every little town there is a memorial and more cemeteries, soldiers and civilians. "The Price of a Mile" is about Passchendale; "Christmas Truce" is about the 1914 impromptu cease fire because Christmas was "more important than war" to the German troops who got the truce started. "Cliffs of Gallipoli" is just heartbreaking. I didn't know anything about the ANZAC troops. Both albums (all their albums) are great, and they also have a Sabaton History Channel. All this means that WW1 is becoming a new, viral topic. Check out all the reactors who have reacted to Sabaton's songs. Listening to these songs have spurred so many people to want to learn more about WW1. Best Regards!
Thanks again Jean-Loup for a wonderful and also sad snapshot of the history of those days. Great work. =)
Powerful.......Thank you so much for this very moving tale.
Brilliant channel. Fascinating stories that re thoroughly researched and well-presented.
Sems the German NCO sacrificed himself so the rest could retreat, even the original MG man who was wounded, survived and retreated.
I see what you're saying now.
Thank you for posting the story. May they rest in peace.
Excellent work in recovering all the information for this touching story.
I can imagine the family members stumbling on your channel and watching every detail of those events. I know hardly anything about my grandparents. It's a well made documentary. Thank you.
What great research into a sad event for the families of these fallen soldiers. Fantastic work to find the complete story of this long ago action.
Thank you for your very interesting research and for caring about these soldiers no matter what side they were on. May all their souls RIP. You are all remembered
Just incredible my friend
Your channel popped up and I’m so glad I watched it. I find what you do incredibly incredibly inspiring.
I’m 56 and this story brought tears to face. I am astonished you are able to find these people and bring these families together. Thanks for giving me several videos to watch
Well done, 'Crocodile Tear' - amazing work & research
What a heart wrenching story of the effects of war upon families. I've never been moved so much by a historical narrative. Please keep up the good work.
Thank you for another fine video and telling a side of history that otherwise nobody would have knowledge of my condolences to the families
Excellent account of the needless horror of war and devastation of families. My father fought in the Pacific (at 19 yrs. old) and had PTSD for the rest of his life due to kamikazes attacks .
My father was a marine in the Pacific at the Ryku Islands. He has severe
PTSD and so bad I never new him. I understand why he was never right.
So many of us were deprived of our service warriors familys torn apart . I respect their fight and duty.
Excellent account of two men who should never have had to face one another as combatants. This helps us appreciate how events experienced during the war remain fresh in soldiers' minds even decades afterward. Thank you for your informative research.
This loss in the families creates long-lasting trauma. The last words had been hard to swallow and made my heart feel heavy and weighed down, due to the told story and due to incidents in the wider range of the family and my own experience. Thanks for your interest in history and for showing the results to a broader public audience.
I am speechless...I don't know what to post. Thank you!
This was so interesting, and I appreciate how much you researched both sides of this encounter. I'm even more amazed at the incredible reaction of the family. Thank you for sharing this!
watching the video of the Lt, it reminds me of all the WW2 vets I conversed with @ the VAMC. That long term care room was a flashback where I heard many stories just like his. RIP Lt.
As a Veteran I know terrible things happen in war. My Dad also fought in the Korean War and he rarely spoke of his combat experience as many war veterans are reluctant too. But despite what happens in war and combat there seems to be a flicker of light of humanity and hope that one day all will be reconciled in time and as we know Father Time heals all wounds.
Thank you for sharing this story!!
Fantastic video! You told the story very well, and brought all the facts together nicely. Thank you!
Thank you for this and your positive intentions that helped create more understanding and being so sensitive to all
Fabulous storytelling and narration. The B&W photo of the German soldier at 17:33 drives home the point that in war, death lurks everywhere.
Your research is second to none.. am glad there is someone like you keeping an eye on thinks from then
Thank you for posting this story of real events that occurred during the war. My father and uncles, fought in both theaters during WW2. My father was with the 5th Marines in the Pacific. He always avoided talking about the war. I once asked him about terrible looking burn scars on his left shoulder, his neck and why he was deaf in his ear. His terse response was, white phosphorous, quickly changing the subject. My uncle Vic, did tell me one time, that the most scared he had ever felt, was while sheltering behind a Sherman tank, when it was knocked out by a German 88. He said that 88 was blowing the hell out of everything coming up that road. I discovered, while making arrangements for his interment at Quantico National Cemetery, that Uncle Vic was a T/5 in the Corps of Engineers, and that he was decorated for his actions in the Ardeness Campaign, better known as the Battle of the Bulge. The Army engineers helped win this battle, by blowing bridges to prevent the Germans from reaching the Muse River, in their drive towards Antwerp. I believe many men who've experienced actual combat, carry the trauma with them throughout their lives. They find their memories too painful, to desire talking about them.
Wow! Fabulous video, one of the best I've seen on UA-cam. Thank you very much for creating and posting this. Every man killed, in every battle of of every war, was someone's son, brother, father, or grandfather. Or maybe just a friend. Each death is a family tragedy. Learning their names and hearing their stories brought it all to life today for me. And it made me cry.
Such a terrible loss of life , his poor wife. War is senseless.
This is very true but Germany had declared war on the world for a second time and invaded and occupied most of Europe.
@@andydunn5673well no, it was the first time. In WW1, Germany JOINED the ongoing conflict between Austria and Serbia on Austria’s side as ally, which let Russia, UK and the other parties join too. At that time, every European nation was ready and eager for a war. WW2 was triggered by the contract of Versailles which made Germany the initiator of WW1 and responsible for all reparation costs. German people were fed up with that unfair contract they were forced to sign and people started revolting. Easy for Hitler to get them into another war. If there would not be the contract of Versailles, hitler would have had no chance to get anyone to war. Do your research.
@@andydunn5673 your attitude is the exact reason this war happened. You are ignorant
@@andydunn5673 He had no choice but to go,or he would probably have been put into a camp as many German dissenters were, and we all know about them . Ordinary people do not start war's, they fight and die in them, the men who start them, never fight in them. There are many reasons for war's, we are never told the true reason's.
Thanks for sharing this, amazing how much information was retained about something that was quite a small contact, for those who where not present of course. Charles
Absolutely incredible. Thank you SO much for your work.
Great video! Merci beaucoup for having the interest and passion for telling the stories of these men, their fate and highlighting stories from a front that might have otherwise been forgotten.
The German war machine was a very disciplined smooth operating bureaucratic system. When a German soldier was wounded, sick, captured, or killed his parents and spouse would receive a detailed summary report of the events. The bodies of German soldiers were reburied in cemeteries on the Eastern and Western Fronts or transported back to Berlin, unless frontlines became captured territories by the enemies. They were very meticulous about honoring their dead. *This letter is a reflection of that. Remember Herr Feldwebel's friend was just a young soldier himself, and look how detailed and specific this letter is reporting the circumstances of Herr Feldwebel's death to his wife and parents. The soldier that wrote this at the end of the war was very young. My Dad was in the Korean War, but I had many relatives in WW2. One uncle in the Battle of the Bulge. Another Uncle in the Pacific. I've done interviews with WW2 vets. One a D-Day Utah Beach survivor, who died just a few years ago, RIP, Joe Miner. He was 94. He was in Patton's army. A Hitler Youth, (still alive in his 90's), was liberated at age 16 by Montgomery's army.
Usually the CO send a more formal and less detailed letter. it is rarer for a friend to have sent a highly detailed and sincere letter such as here. US families in most cases never received anything more than the official telegram. That is why US families are often clueless about what happened. Richmonds family though he had been killed by a flamethrower while parachuting into France....
Another brief time in history brought back to life as if it happened yesterday! Merci Jean Loup 👏🏻
I echo all the great comments posted about your fantastic research, your ability to bring an event and the soldiers back to life, as well as your presentation style and narration! Just terrific!
Genuinely heartbreaking, I'm glad the family has them now.
How tragic the deaths on both sides. I can't help remember what Darrell "Shifty" Powers once said:
"We might have had a lot in common. He might've liked to fish, you know, he might've liked to hunt. Of course, they were doing what they were supposed to do, and I was doing what I was supposed to do but under different circumstances, we might have been good friends."
An amazing story, thank you for your effort in not only connecting the two but retelling it. ❤ RIP all lost souls.
“We’ll never know why he kept on fighting when he knew the war was lost” It sounds like he loved his men, and was trying to get them out alive. That’s why he kept fighting in the ambush surely.
He was a fanatic. Common problem with Germans at the time.
@@rpm12091we don't know that for a fact.
@@rpm12091 So he's a fanatic while the Yanks coming back for revenge weren't?
The letter of the other German sounds as if he coverd the retreat of the wounded, maybe it was indeed his goal to save his comrades.
@@rpm12091 Not every German was fanatic just because he was a German. Some were simply forced into the ranks, as Russian soldiers are today. May mankind some day find a way to bury the Universal Soldier and settle a peace!
A story that personalizes the war, amazing detail. Thank you. My father served in the USArmy 11th armored division and fought from the Ardennes to Austria. He said very little about his experience.
a hell of a story, thanks for sharing.
This is beautiful 🙏🏻 man it’s exciting to see what your doing to restore the lost, broken but valuable memories ❤
This is an excellent video, really bringing to light the experiences of what it was like to fight during this time. Also excellent is your work to contact the surviving relatives of the German soldier.
This is one of the usefulness of you tube. Thank you this story must be viewed Billion times.
My German Granduncle was killed in an unknown way in Suhl (Thüringen). The special thing about this story is, that the Americans came on the left side and the Russians from the right. My family didn't know for about 10 or 15 years about his death. He was "missing" somewhere in Europe.
This thought about meeting the killer (or a related person of him) of your ancestor is so deeply sad and terrifying.
May all soldiers from all times find peace in heaven... 😢
Such a detailed story. Thank you so much for all of the effort you consistently put into your videos.
A battle narrative equal to the best. As a modern American I find this so full of humanity & sadness. Very well done.
Very good video
I sincerely appreciate your unwavering dedication for the truth and history
You are a hero for such work
It's wonderful you did this research! It reunited people. A miniature moment of World Peace ❤ ✌️ 🌎
What an interesting vignette from WW2! Thanks for making this video and sharing it.
A beautifully researched and presented story which was deeply moving; THANK YOU!
Thank you for bringing this story to light.
Another fascinating story. Thanks for reporting your research findings.
wow, a powerful story with heroism and tragedy on all sides. thank you for sharing. My grandfather served in the US 3rd army in europe and kept many things from the war, but died when i was very young. There is a brief german diary with the name of a soldier listed but i've had no luck tracking him down. His, wife, my grandmother lost her first fiance in the Hurtgen forest. She has also long since passed but My aunt remembered the fiance's first name. With just that, and a few hours of research, i was able to find out who he was. He landed in the first wave on Omaha Beach on D-Day and was likely in near constant combat until his death. I was able to track down his great nephew who shared his picture with me which gave me some closure. I commend you for going above and beyond in telling this story and keeping the memories of these men alive.
I saw a video clip where a German ww2 veteran said, "War is a way to turn a country's prosperity into nothing."
One heartwarming but sad story, highlighting the pointlessness of war. Fortunately kindness can be found in the midst of it all.
You never cease to amaze me with you every last detail. Thanks for this touching story. What a waste of life so close to the end.
Thank you very much for sharing and all of your hard work. I am always interested in the history of soldiers during World War II and the lives that they lead.
Excellent work as always, Jean-Loup.
Your persistence in tracking down the documents and people involved is remarkable. Thank you.
Amazing the amount of research that goes int these vids. Thanks for your efforts.
That was a riveting story... Thank you for your effort and enlightening us all.
You are such a good investigator. Amazing story and well done.
So insane to have such detailed perspectives from both sides of the same incident in a war. Amazing