German-born Jew on Interrogating Nazi Prisoners of War | Victor Brombert
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2022
- Victor Brombert was born in Berlin in 1923 into a well-to-do Russian-Jewish family that had previously escaped Russia at the outbreak of the revolution. As Hitler rose to power the Brombert family would once again find itself fleeing, this time to the United States.
In 1943 Brombert was drafted into the U.S. Army. Due to his fluency in French, German, and Russian he was placed in a special unit that was trained in frontline military intelligence at Camp Ritchie. Graduates of Camp Ritchie became known as "Ritchie Boys" and would be responsible for collecting more than half the actionable intelligence gathered during World War II.
In 1944 Brombert took part in the Normandy landings with the 2nd Armored Division at Omaha Beach. He would later see action at the Battle of Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge.
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Great story
@Eaglette "it was real TO ME!".... lol, wouldn't be anywhere near the 1st time.
@Eaglette so not looking 100 makes u not 100 gotcha
@Eaglette He's very sharp for 100
@Eaglette I would hope that the American veterans' cntr would require evidence of army induction discharge and so on before doing such interviews. Some people do preserve themselves well....
Victor Brombert was my professor in the early 1980s. More than any other person I have ever known, he embodies the highest values of civilization.
Indeed, he exudes civility and decency!
Well said, totally agree.
This is what a gentleman looks like, reminds me of my Grandfather 💙💛
You would never know the awful things they have been forced to witness.
Truly an amazing example of a Human being.
And many thanks to his wise Granmother x
You're a luky guy. And you know it. 👍🏼
What did he teach??
@@AntonAdelson 19. and 20. Century Literature with am emphasis on french literature
The fact that this gentleman is 98 years old is insane, he does not look a day older than 75. Respect.
And his mind is much clearer than someone in their 60's-And I know a thing or two about that!
@@annehersey9895 I thought the exact same thing
@@TheAnthoula14 -after watching this, I went to UA-cam and watched the movie The Richie Boys! Excellent and free! About an hour and a half. Interviews with about 8 men just like Victor! Well worth watching!!
@@annehersey9895 His mind is a lot clearer than many who have not yet reached a quarter of his age.
Sadly, many Americans by age 25 have had their minds ruined by alcohol, drugs, and liberal democrat socialist propaganda.
(18:20) "I am proud of not having succumbed to vulgarity and to meanness (I am proud because of my grandmother's advice to maintain my dignity and my self respect) throughout these events". Golden attitude. Much respect.
That sentiment stood out to me as well amidst an hour of thoughtful and beautiful sentiments.
He is almost 100 years old and is much brighter of the mind than people half his age. I am so glad his spirit didn't parish in the war. We have so much to learn from him.
Yup... well said
He’s brighter than some of our leading politicians old and young. Let’s go Brandon!
*perish
@@michaelmelamed9103🤡
A remarkable man indeed. Articulate, intelligent, multilingual. I could listen to him for hours.
My father in law was a German Jew who left before the war and later joined the British army. He was an intelligence officer with the occupation forces. He said that the people who informed on their neighbours for being Nazis were the same people who informed on their neighbours for being Jewish under the Nazi regime.
I’m so not surprised
A rat is a rat.
Yes. That was particularly bad in France. Especially if French Jews owned businesses competing with Catholic French.
Terrible.
what did they gain from the allies fo rinforming the allies that their neighbours were nazis? and what did they gain from the nazis for informing the nazis on their neighbours for being jewish?
@@boliusabol822
They often took Jewish homes and possessions. It improved their status so favors could be had. Believe it or not sometimes it was to just get rid of someone they didn’t like.
Brombert was my professor in the late 1990s. He was magical and a brilliant teacher. His undergraduate classes had up to 400 students in them and he was a cult figure and people would take things he said and start saying them themselves. What an amazing teacher!
Mr.Spellberg in Chicago's Daley Community College had that same effect teaching US/ World History.His stories have never left us.
Wonderful story! My father too was a Ritchie Boy. He was from Austria. He spent 11 months in Dachau He got out through diplomatic channels, came to the USA, went to Camp Hale Colorado and 3rd Armored Division
His name was Rudolf Antmann. My father never talked about it either. Did you ( or anyone?) happen to know him? There is a picture of him interrogating prisoners after page 123 in the book, Spearhead in the West, Third Armored Division. These men were so courageous and so humble- just everyday men doing what had to be done. My sister and I are so proud of him and of all of these men. They were truly heroes.
You should be proud of your father. I'm happy for you and ur sister. My FIL was a bombadier over N Africa and was shot down 2x. Family lore has it that he was taken prisoner of war 2x and escaped 2x. I was able to find 1POW medal awarded to him. I'm proud of him and I didn't even know him. His widow and 3 children are gone now so I'm trying to do some research for my children. My son amazingly looks just like him. Same handsome square jaw... May God bless all the soldiers and their families worldwide.
Edit: I have since found out that soldiers who were taken POW twice only received one medal but it has a notation on it that they were taken twice.
The greatest generation.
My father was in the US Navy from 1939 to 1962. He spent WWII in the Pacific. Neither of my parents talked very much about the war years. Mom talked a bit about working making uniforms and operating a drill press making radios. Dad told a few stories about shipboard incidents but not combat. Virtually all of the adults in our town lived through the war years. They probably didn't think it was a good idea to tell children about the horror of war.
This gentleman is an example of how humility, civility,and empathy can be
rewarded with knowledge and longevity
All you said it could be right about him. But in a distance in my brain is a red light switching up if Jews talking about humanity, civility and empathy. And I’m talking about how civilized and humanly they are handling the Palestinians by any border crossing in their god given homeland. Many young girls and young women raped by Jewish military personnel’s. Make them waiting for hours not letting them under a covered place if it’s raining or snowing. Oh they are forgetting about all the atrocities they committing for thousands of yrs against Christian people like they are animals? Get the whole picture about them, but as I see you are one of the worm farm.
I hate the reality that i. addition to character and whatever that luck also played apart. I think he is the kind of guy who knows that deeply.
Somehow it seems to me that the conditions which resulted in men like Victor Brombert rebuilding society after the war are gone. The result is newer generations forgetting how to be civil and tolerant while still striving to follow their convictions.
Perhaps you are correct. Or perhaps they are there. I find them hiding around the place not makinng much noise. :) After all, if they made too much noise people tend not to listen to them anyway.@@catsupchutney
Sadly don't apply any of that in Palestine
One major thing I learnt in my service is..”Kindness is not a weakness...”
Yes you are correct I humbly think. I knew a Canadian soldier who lost the top of his head bone from a German bullet. He had no hatred and after 6 months, he went back in service. His comrades put him in the rear given his wounds.
Then he was part of the Belsen liberation troops: he could smell the stench miles away as the wind blew towards them. He lost his kindness completely. Later a German who had married a Quebec girl lived next to him. He completely fenced them on the side of his property preventing them to use a road the previous owner had access to. He wanted nothing to do with that "bastard".
I do not blame him given his experience (I do not know what I would have done) but I agree with you that it would have been probably harder to be kind than to hate in that circumstance. Except that eventually hate can consume you.....
You served, I did not, what do you think?
AMEN, you can draw more flies withe honey than vinegar.
Amen
@@jceepf stench of what? The dead from the Typhus outbreak?
There are those who will take advantage of it though.
“ My Grandmother told me to do my best to maintain my dignity and self respect….. I was not interested in being a hero. “. Spoken like every true hero. I’m glad he told his story. Thank you.
Beautifully said
Well said
Hero? To be an interrogation officer? Ah no
Very high verbal IQ. So you common folk believe it's real.
I have known Victor since 1961. He and my father Ivo were professors at Yale, and good friends. Most recently, my wife and I visited with Victor and his wife Beth in Paris a few years ago. Beyond his erudition, charm, and a lifetime sharing his wisdom and knowledge with students and readers, his conviction that "convalescence" is the assignment for survivors, his positive we-must-get-on-with-it attitude is the very prescription not just for survival, but for how to thrive in a difficult world.
What a lovely thing, that you are able to share a friendship. I would love to know what simple things, such as food or books, etc. he enjoys.
An amazing good good man.god bless him his wife and family
❤❤
A lesson to keep in mind.
What a wonderful person I'd like to know very much. Funny though, that he still sounds very German... Her reminds me of my former professor. I consider it my privilege to teach my students respect and clear thinking without preconceptions, to be open and human. Listen to these survivors. Carefully, closely.
This guy would have easily been one of my neighbors, high school teachers, etc. I miss this generation so much. My grandparents are gone, and we're loosing more and more of them by the day. They have amazing stories.
Amen ☹️ best damn generation
At least we have these amazing stories . Thank you for preserving history ❤
Amazing person
This gent is a master of the understatement... 'we landed on Omaha beach and made our way to the top of the bluff, it was quite difficult.'
I had to laugh at that one.
At 98 he is not going to go into gruesome details.
The 2nd Armored landed a few days after D-Day, so perhaps not quite as difficult as you are imagining, though quite a bit harder than anything I've ever done, I'd guess.
It was quite difficult… I can’t imagine
@@MrGlenspace have you listened ? He spoke in details of horrors he saw on the battlefield
Imagine spending a full day with this guy. You could literally listen to his experiences all day. What an awesome human being.
I was most fortunate to spend 6 1/2 years of Sundays with a WWII combat vet who had carried a camera and had literally hundreds of unseen photos that he made between 1940-44. I was able to develop prints off his negatives and then record his many stories and recollections for six years every Sunday, and it never became boring or tedious. In fact I was very sad when it all had to end.
Someone should commission him to write a book. I would definitely be onevof the first to buy it
@@PaisleyPatchouli you and he were very fortunate to have that time together. You got a chance to preserve some very interesting history. I hope you have had a book printed of the pictures and I hope you got to record a large number of his stories.
İ wish i could spend several days with him to record everything he has to tell about his experiences during WW2. İts a unique oppurtunity
My generation (I’m 24) will be the last to hear these stories from firsthand accounts, I will be the last generation to see the Holocaust tattoos on a living persons arm
As a Special Agent in US Army Intelligence 1968-1971, I find this gentleman astonishing. I am 75 yro and he is in better shape than I am. How he survived Nazi Germany is an absolute miracle. His face actually resembles mine and my Grandfather's. We have ancestors that came to the USA from Alpine Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
Did your old man serve?
@@roderickstockdale1678 My brother and I did, but our father and both Grandfathers did not. We had 4 Uncles that served in WW2 US Army.
He is a Russian Jew, family emigrated from Russia to Germany , then run to France, from France to US.
There were a lot of conversions , some forced some voluntary of Jews to Christianity. ,many Europeans have some Jewish ancestors
@@bellaadamowicz8380 I thought our family may have Jewish ancestry, but according to my DNA test there is none. For that and other reasons, I have doubted DNA tests for
validity over the long haul of Centuries.
Today, (4/1/24), I just learned the last survivor of Pearl Harbor died at 102.
The stories of people like this man have been precious to me since I met a concentration camp survivor came to my classroom and told us her story about her war. This was in '77 and I was 12. World War II had held my shocked amazement since. Whenever I see or read stories like this one, I always stop and absorb their lessons. Few survivors of the war that changed everything still live. Listen to them.
Oh that you had met the Black Foundational Descendants of americanKKK holocaust SLAVERY! The existence of these people has been denied!🔥💯
Not a trace of bitterness. This man is amazing.
Reminds me of my Dad. 5 yrs in concentration camp and lived as a patriotic American with no bitterness
Well, I knew at least one person (Jewish) that lost his entire family to the Germans. Yet he made a good living important German stuff into the US. He got more criticism from important Polish stuff than he got for importing German stuff.
Why would he be bitter? He and his people have achieved total victory. And he knows it.
@@GilmerJohn I mean nothing wrong with the culture itself. You can appreciate the beauty and richness of a country's culture while you are free to abhor its worst elements.
@@drott150 What are you on about?
The fact that someone can see the horrors of war and watch his people be exterminated and then somehow be this kind and sympathetic blows my mind. Thank you for your service! 🙏 👏
@@knov314 🤦♂️
It’s the power of the Almighty God.
@@KW-es2bz Yes. Our finest teacher and philosopher was Jewish.
@@KW-es2bz What does a fictitious entity that is never mentioned in the whole story have to do with it? Nothing.
He fought a war against fascism.
This man's story is priceless. He was allowed to tell his story without evident interruptions by the interviewer. Well done!
His modest, self-deprecating storytelling style was wonderful to listen to. I could imagine myself sitting and being enthralled, listening to one of his lectures. I learned best from engaging professors like him.
A heartfelt thank you to Master Sargeant Victor Bombert for sharing your story with us.
Words cannot adequately express my appreciation well enough to the American Veterans Center staff for recording interviews like this before these people are no longer able to share their stories with us in their own words with their own voice. Very moving!
they shud fact check his story. no verified sources = no verified substance
He reminds me of an old survivor of Auschwitz I met in Poland. Cheerful and sharp as a tack with the camp number still tattooed on his arm. For him, every day he was healthy and happy was another victory over the nazis.
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
This is fascinating. Normandy, Hurtgen Forest, Belgium, Berlin. What an experience. Just a 20 year old kid. No wonder he never talked about it. Wow.
You have very few _ACTUAL_ peers after that experience.
He’s 98! Still on this earth. That in itself is amazing let alone the fact he participated in WWII and lived. Awesome
My dad landed in Europe, helped liberate a concentration camp and survived the Battle of the Bulge. He could never talk about it either. Thank you for you service.
To them it was a time to be forgotten . After the war they just wanted to get back to normal and live their lives . You often find they just do not want to talk about and put it to the back of their minds . War is not like shown in moves . War is hell on earth .
His is the travelogue of the entirety of the the Western front. Not very many men saw all that and lived, much less were not wounded. Also this is a man of superior intelligence and quick and decisive "survival" action. God blessed him, and hasn't stopped, believe it or not! And the jeep! What a life. Most impressive is his complete lack of post stress psychological symptoms. Well played, sir.
Their is an amazing book written about German born Jewish soldiers in the U.S army working as interpreters and I never thought I would get to see an interview of one of these men. The book is called “Sons and Soldiers” if anyone wants to learn more.
I have that one and have just started to read it. Another book you might be interested in is "The Enemy I Knew". Fascinating history.
Dear Rhett, you might be fascinated to visit the Jewish Virtual Library which I found online years ago.
They have 2 great reads. One is about 101 squadron and the Jewish lads who flew as 8th man on Lancasters.
They also had another great read on Jewish service men in WW2, but I can't recall the title of it - but if you search for WW2 military or air force it might pop up. Really moving and interesting - and explains why many people claim they met few Jewish men on front line.
J.D. Salinger was also Jewish and multilingual. His biography is amazing.
Thanks
In addition to his great accomplishments during the war, he also became a distinguished chaired professor of literary criticism at Princeton. But his greatest achievement was undoubtedly to remain such a decent and lovely human being despite all he had to deal with, and despite living in a world where such behavior is sadly becoming ever harder to find.
Well said
Having served in combat as an Infantryman, this MSG is 100% correct about the Medics. They are the real heroes. This MSG is the type of man that we viewed as an inspiration in the world of the Infantry during my time frame of service as we were fortunate to meet many of the Greatest Generation, of which this Man is an outstanding example of.
Iraq? Afghanistan? Both?
@@roderickstockdale1678 Both. How about you?
@@oldgrognard7662 just wondering since you talked like a young man. Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
What's MSG?
@@AntonAdelson Master Sergeant.
This gentleman is an amazing human being with a more amazing story to tell. We should all be happy he was around to tell us his experiences.
Thank you Victor Brombert for all that you have done and share with us. You are part of what makes the United States of America unique. We sometimes forget that most of us are from immigrants stock. Whether or not we acknowledge that fact is our responsibility.
Your words are true to the core of America and what makes America so great! America is made up of all people from around the world who believe in The American Way of Freedom!!!
He is right about Medics! They are the heroes in my opinion! Desmond Dross was a great example ! Watch the movie Hacksaw Ridge to find out about this Medic, a Seventh Day Adventist . He refused to carry a weapon! He climbed up Hacksaw Ridge to save many, many, many soldiers in the South Pacific. He also faced discrimination by other Christian members because he kept the Sabbath on Saturday not Sunday! But they came around later to see he was indeed a HERO! 🥰
@@daren899 why on God's green earth would you bring religious politics into an event that brought all human beings together despite any an all previous an current beliefs ? Show some respect an keep your religious agenda to yourself! As good intention as you may have, there is a time an place for everything!
@@konakona895 You don't have to be religious to understand that religion had a huge role in his heroism. Just because everyone has a common cause doesn't mean they all agree with each other or it's all lily-daly as the Cold War showed us.
@@applesandgrapesfordinner4626 whether I agree or do not agree it's not the point here do not bring your religious agenda into this video as if it endorses your beliefs! The my belief is better than your belief is better left in the "to each his own"!
Your video resonated as my father had a virtually similar experience. Jewish family . Escaped Nazi Germany (Munich) in early 1940 at age 14 - late as far as Nazi Jewish purges but the theory is that my Grandfather was a MD and was protected by friends as long as possible. Made it to Seattle via Moscow and the German embassy that was still in operation in 1940, Yokahama, Seattle, and New York. Entered the U.S. Army at 17. And while he was not a one of the (Camp) Ritchie Boys in so far as I know, when he returned with a purple heart from Sicily with the Third Army, he was assigned to interrogate German P.O.W.s in New Jersey at a Ritter's tomato farm. Amazing stories. For me, truly the "Greatest Generation." Thank you Mr. Brombert!
Satan thanks him for his service
@@ijusthatenormiesihavenooth1164 Are you some kind of troll?
They don't make men like these these days thats for sure.
I have several German passports of Jews emigrating at that time - Germans stamped with Red J
An awful lot of "survivors" and "escapees" for a "genocide". It seems there are more "survivors" today than there were Jews in Europe in WWII.
My dad was also a German Jew who was trained at Camp Ritchie. He was attached to Patton's Third Army
I read the book about the "Richie Boys". German born Jews who emigrated to USA as children or young adults and served in the war as interrogators and military intelligence. The book is awesome and spellbinding as it follows several men from childhood in Germany to their participation in the war. Many Jewish parents sent their oldest male ahead to America and the rest of the family couldn't escape and faced certain death.
I heartily commend this man and all the others who served our country.
RITCHIE BOYS is the titlevof the book,yes??
Thanks
@@darrylkassle361
I think the actual title is "Sons and Soldiers"
An amazing man. His memory is as sharp as the event just happened.
What a life story! A gentleman from a generation of men to be respected and heard.
I could listen to him all day.
He may not have been concerned with being a hero but he most certainly is.
Agreed
Not all of the WW2 generation were. One family member of mine was a medic in the Canadian Army. He was also a paedophile.
Shut up, bug👹
It is said hatred and bitterness is a very corrosive emotion. If not eliminated, it will destroy the carrier as well as target.
German- American here! Thank you for your service. Glad you survived that war. My Great Uncle was a Staff Sgt. in the U S Army and died fighting against Nazis on a beach in Anzio, Italy! At least he died fighting against Nazis! He was 32 when he died! I never got to meet him sadly! 🇩🇪🇨🇭🇺🇲
What a lovely man. In some ways he reminds me of my dad, but my dad [A Royal Marine Commando] didn't have the comfort of knowing that he had maintained his civility and decency not just during WW2 but more significantly, in the many 'small wars' he was involved in post WW2. Like this gentleman, my father rarely talked about his experiences but towards the end of his life he began 'confessing' to certain things and it explained a lot about the anger/rage that was ever-present in my childhood.
“I am proud, not to have succumbed to vulgarity and meanness” and that is everything to me
dignity, humanity, humility, thoughtfulness - lost arts of mankind
OMG. We can't thank this man and his peers... enough. He has humor, yet gets serious quickly. I love how he was able to speak without interruption of some eager interviewer.
This man is priceless.
An exemplary human being. To remain that humble and optimistic after seeing the intense horrors of war is incredible.
The way this gentleman explains his war ordeal, is just fa tactics. His way of thinking and behaving makes him a real PROPER HUMAN. Everyone should behAve similarly. Thand you!!!❤❤
My uncle was a WW2 vet who passed while I was in college. I really regret not recording an oral history. I was able to research his service and figures out his unit etc. However, I think these oral histories are priceless.
He must be very strong to stay himself after all he went through .
A man with a big heart .
Ots been my experience (in the study of history) that those who fight on the side of morality, who a truely fighting for good. Never lose themselves in war, it doesn't take a piece of your soul.
@StriderAdamus
That ,and i believe there are simpy good and bad people ,independent from their political right or wrong side .
“I was not interested in being a hero.” But Sir, You are a hero.
Yes,true heroes never see themselves as heroes which is an important aspect of being a true hero
It reminds me of what many of the holders of the Victoria Cross whom Jeremy Clarkson interviewed said in a programme for the BBC (it's on UA-cam somewhere).
They came to resent being seen as heroes and wanted to get on with their lives without the label. They seemed to genuinely feel that they had only done what they needed to do, often in a moment of time, and now wanted to be allowed to forget it and move on.
I found that moving and it made me realise that the label of heroism can be something to benefit the observer, not the person who acted.
What a fabulous example of a human being To have his experience and to retain is humanity is the highest complement and respect If only we had leaders with these qualities The planet may be in a better place
Fascinating interview, the man is incredibly lucid, intelligent for his age.Thank you for your service and the first person telling of stories that will no longer be possible within a few years!
I was thinking the same. I hope to live this long and remain as lucid. He appeared to reference his notes on a pad at one point. Amazing clarity, amazing storytelling, Gives us hope for a better future.
The interviews are older but try Raymond McFalone channel on yt.
More wonderful old chaps of WW2 - and a couple of ladies.
My uncle Col. James V Collier was a pow in ww2. He was on the Bataan Death March. He passed in 1976 but recorded his story a few years prior. I'm fortunate to have his story saved. He experienced humanity at its worst. These people endured unimaginable situations and those brave enough to preserve their experiences for the future generations to learn first hand are indeed heroes in a day of political correctness and censorship.
Tom-You should get a copy of his recording to the WWII Museum. Someone who lived through the Bataan Death March's experience are invaluable!
@@annehersey9895 I took your advice and left a msg with the ww2 Museum in New Orleans. So we'll see what happens. Thanks for the tip.
Where can we read his story?
@@tomrice8061 Ayyy! Lovely
You should read " Ghost Soldiers " about the Bataan Death March
Amazing, extraordinary, astonishing; clearly this man's first language is not English. Yet, he speaks far, far better English than that virtually all Americans, or British, and more importantly so well spoken. This 20 minutes of his experience is priceless. He presents, the big picture, and the day to day life to include witnessing a 2 star General speak in a way as if he was totally detached from reality. Like most WW II vets he left those experiences behind after the war, hopefully most of his experiences have been documented, great work..
His english is good n adequate but not better at all than native speakers. Don't forget german and english are very similar.
Like my parents this guy can speak virtually natively in German, English and French. Who knows which other languages he might speak- perhaps Russian, Yiddish, etc. They learned what they had to learn to survive. No ESL in school for them!
Dear Merlin Geikie,
I find many unilingual Americans whose grammar is quite wanting and otherwise not nearly as good as this man’s English.
I have heard Barack Obama, a great orator, make grammatical errors in his speeches. I blame him as well as his speech writers.
@@georgesotiroff5080 Speeches are crafted and delivered for maximum effect. To achieve political aims that often involves an attempt to speak in a casual manner. Grammar is a secondary concern.
Dear 1988jeffy,
I am well aware of “poetic license” and I do understand your point.
The instances I’ve noticed would have been no less effective, and perhaps even more so, using correct grammar.
Over the last 10 years I have given testimonies, usually limited to 2 minutes, before various government inquiries. I can now confirm a truth my father taught me.
One can express himself more accurately and with fewer syllables if he uses larger words and correct grammar.
This man is a treasure - quiet and modest in the face of everything he's and done. So glad you were able to interview and record him for a posterity that needs to know this stuff. Thanks.
We really don't know how he was with the German POWs. He says he treated them humanely, but German POWs (a number of their accounts can be found on UA-cam) say they were most afraid of being interrogated by Jews. One POW relates how a Jewish commandant ordered that the prisoners be fed the same rations and undergo similar treatment to the prisoners of Nazi concentration camps. Lucky for the German POWs that he was removed after a few days. The uncritical acceptance of what Brombert says is reminiscent of how Americans have been misinformed by Israelis about the fate of Palestinians under their rule which is a far cry from the democratic equal treatment that Israel claims it accords them.
He has a noble spirit. I’m sure he is a blessing to all who know him. It’s people like him who are the good in the world.
The Hurtgen Forest was known as a "meat grinder"..this gentleman went through hell on earth ...thank you for your service and all you sacrificed of your life!
What a true gentleman this man is.
What a lovely, lovely man. The best kind of human being. I have such respect for him and his humane behavior during such a terrible time in history. So pleased to have seen this video. Thank you.
What a wonderful man. Following what my grandmother told me, to carry yourself with dignity. Unfortunately there are far to many in this world who don’t do that.
There are so many amazing people in this world, Victor Brombert is among those who should be soaked up / listened to. Unbelievable at 98 years old, all the horror he had witnessed, all he had been through and to have such a beautiful attitude. Victor is why I cannot stand to listen to anyone who is healthy complain about anything....he's a hero in the highest regard. Thank you for posting this video.
My ex is Ukrainian. Her grandmother hide her Jewish neighbor in her wardrobe when the Nazis came looking for the Jews in her building in Odessa. Her grandfather was stabbed in the head with a bayonet at the battle of Stalingrad and lived to tell the tale, becoming a college president in Odessa before dieing in 1980, what a life these people lived!
My late father was technically still an Italian citizen when he enlisted after Pearl Harbor - he was a legal resident and had applied. Granted citizenship before he attended OCS. My people escaped (barely) from fascist Italy in 1924 with what they wore. Some to America, others to various parts of Europe. A great uncle was wanted by the Gestapo for hiding Hungarian Jews
How old was he when he enlisted?
As a Jew and because of your great uncle, I tearfully bless your family. BTW, My mother was Sicilian.
@@interfaithfulness8063 he was talking about his father. Read the first line
@@roderickstockdale1678 The last sentence maybe? Can you not read?
@@brandonslone1025 you got me🙌🏾
"If I survive, I'll never complain. And if I survive, I'll always try to give pleasure to others and to myself." What an amazing, lovely man! You Sir, an inspiration to me.
My father-in-law was born in Cologne, Germany. He arrived in the US in 1935 as a 15 year old. During WWII he enlisted and was trained at Camp Richie for the Counter Intelligence Corps. He always wore a rank one rank higher than the POW he would interrogate.
This should be a movie. Amazing story. Amazing human being.
It's basically Hacksaw Ridge
There is a book about the Richie Boys
wow! what an amazing life! Thank you, sir! I salute you! I did 10 years in the U.S. Army with service in Iraq. So I am honored to be your brother- in-arms!
So you helped to kill a million inhabitants of a country that never attacked the US? Hopefully he doesn't feel honoured by your salute.
Read “Sons and Soldiers” it talks about interrogators like this man, you won’t be disappointed.
should alleged "insurgents" have been interrogated in Iraq; in the manner that they were?
@@alexanderv7702 war is not hunane
@@alexanderv7702 "War is hell, you cannot refine it"
General W T Sherman
Some might say he's lucky to be alive but quite the contrary, he's alive despite of the horrible circumstances he indurred. What an amazing story. I have the utmost respect for him.
11:43 Very moving story, the dead medic doing his job, putting himself literally between the bullet and the man he was trying to save, trying to help.
* That * is a hero.
Moving, eloquent, this man’s humanity shines out from his war experiences. I would like to have met him, paid my respects and ask a million questions.
Thank you for producing this.
me too
Victor Bromert seems very well educated, as if a college professor, and seems well to do. He deserves every bit of it because he did everything he could to ensure Allied victory.
He IS a professor ... of literature at Princeton 🙂. Good guess.
Victor mentions his career in education starting at 17:44
☺
This man's story was instructive, moving and inspiring. The Center's work is most valuable. As we say in Australia: 'Lest we forget'.
Many people don't know that many foreigners served in the US Armed Forces.
My dad immigrated from Germany to the US in 1953. In 1955, he was drafted into the Army. He served in Japan and Korea as a MP.
What a wonderful interview! He must be 95 at the youngest and much sharper than I am! I love his attitude and he must have been a great teacher whose students got a lot out of his classes. Thank You so much for preserving these memories and this first person history! I wish we had this much information from WWI and especially Civil War veterans.
Not enough people in the world, like this man. Been through much more than anyone deserved to see, or experience, and still humane to speak of these things as he does.
The book SONS and SOLDIERS chronicles the exploits of Victor and several others. It is a fascinating and very informative history read about the Richie boys, an important and fascinating yet overlooked part of WW2
I can hear, French, German and American in him. His accent is very lovely to listen to. Very intelligent man and very brave!
My college roommates dad was a Richie Boy. His name was Max Ulmer. He was put in with German POWs to get real time information.
@@bernielubran4183 - Max died (1980’s I believe). His son would have to provide any information. I do have pictures of related documents which he gave me, but he would have to release any of his dads info to the general public.
I’m also not sure who you are in relation to the author.
Thank you for your service, Sargeant Brombert. We are honored to hear your story.
Truly inspiring, thank you so much!
"My grandmother's advice: maintain my dignity and my self respect throughout all these things".
Never behaved in ways he would be ashamed of.
Didn't talk about the war because that is not what he was fixated on.
My father served in WW2 in the US Navy. He saw action in North Africa and Sicily. and then finished out the war in Okinawa. This video is absolutely riviting. Thank you sir.
These stories are amazing
Great men these were/are
This man is amazing. It takes Strong Human Willpower for an individual to survive such conditions. He describes every situation in crisp detail. He saw things that most of us only see in the movies. May he continue to live a Blessed Life. Respect.
R E S P E C T Sir. Thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for being a decent human being in a difficult time. Thank you for sharing your experiences in a such an eloquent way.
These are the stories, not legends, that have unfortunately taken a backseat to the narrative of enemies instead of celebrating and thanking the everyday, unrecognized heroes. All of the heroes. Thank you for doing that.
This is a real gentleman.
As a Frenchman I especially like the part about the French denunciating others.
Victor is a great storyteller. Loved listening to him.
MSG Brombert can never be called “foreigner”. He EARNED his citizenship. Thank you for giving me a chance to serve. And for my freedom, Master Sergeant Brombert. You handled your business.
What a joy to listen to this gentleman. Amazing experiences & amazing he seems to hold no ill feelings to anyone.
The War Department selected Camp Albert C. Ritchie, a 632-acre camp near Cascade, Maryland. The camp had been used by the Maryland National Guard since 1926 and had been named after the governor of Maryland at the time. The state of Maryland leased the camp to the US government. ~ The War Department shortened the name of the camp to “Camp Ritchie.” It was also known as the MITC, or the Military Intelligence Training Center. Colonel Charles Banfill of the US Army Air Corps served as the camp’s first commanding officer. The camp officially opened on June 19, 1942. The camp’s flag showed a German military map and a silver star with the letters “MITC” and a motto in Latin: “Fas est et ab hoste doceri” (“You must learn from the enemy”). GOD Bless, Heal, & Keep them All and their families. Be Safe out there. Peace & Health to Us All.
This mans story should be made into a film.God bless you and thank u for your service!!!
Thanks for your service sir! You are a hero to me. My grandfather John M.Shoemaker,Pfc. served with 2nd platoon,G co.,2nd battalion, 253rd regiment, 63rd Division( attached to the 44th Division for Operation Norwind),U.S. 7th Army, ETO. He earned CIB,Bronze star for valor, purple heart, bronze star for service and presidential unit citation ribbon among other medals in 4 months of combat from 12-31-44 to 4-8-45. By the end of April, the 63rd liberated the Kaufering complex of concentration camps at Landsberg, Germany. They are listed as liberators in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. My grandfather almost never talked about the War. Thanks again, J.R.S.,Jr.,Esq.
About 18 months ago I was contacted by a man who was the curator for the museum being constructed at Camp Ritchie. It was only then that I discovered that my father was a Ritchie Boy. We knew he had been at Camp Ritchie but he never mentioned being a part of this elite group of men. Although he never went to war he became a booby trap expert. He had made friends with another GI and his wife and I asked if he also was a Ritchie Boy. I notified his family to let them know about their Dad being a Ritchie Boy. They were as shocked as my family and I.
Cannot imagine the strength of his parents ... I have a hard time surviving the nonsense of what is going on today in 2023 ... This will remind me to suck it up and move forward. Thank you SIR!!!!
Best firsthand account we've ever been privileged to hear. They have no idea how much we want to hear what it was like day to day.
My family fled Russia, too. It's amazing that there are still legends like this man out there.
We need to help support more veterans like this American hero instead of supporting rappers or sports or pointless political schemes that only divide Americans
I could listen to this gentleman endlessly.
I admire that he didn't want to be a hero, he was born a survivor, and wanted to continue surviving. He wasn't afraid to admit he ran for his life during battles, but he never deserted. He had a healthy and wise way of dealing with danger.
It is amazing how present his German accent still is.
This is an extremely well-told account of an “ordinary” man’s wide range of experiences during a time of extreme upheaval and danger. Thoroughly fascinating and I’m glad to have heard it.
A remarkable "ordinary man" as so many at the dreadful time were. His testament and of those like him is important to record
My Great Grandmother was 82 when she told me of my heritage. They moved south to get away from the turmoil. She said the war that started all the wars followed them . They saw it all start. One town over, the day the world changed..
Next thing she knew they were on a ship, an extended family of sorts on their way to the promised land. She said people should remember where they came from and why they left, to make sure it does not happen again. She was born in 1892.
Which country, and the first war or the second war?
So, two minutes into the video and I see he's fluent in Russian, German, French and English. I assume Hebrew as well. Mad skills.
For 99 he looks damn good. He’s led an amazing life so far, seen many horrors yet persevered throughout all of them, truly remarkable.
98 years old? The value of having three native languages, and then a fourth (English) to live by. That will keep a mind fresh.
Thank you Master Sargeant for your service 🇺🇸
This man is a true hero. He is an example of what his generation sacrificed for and successfully left this country. I wish I could spend time with him and speak with him.
It seems most Vets didn't talk about the war until they were in their 80s. My dad was different, because while in his late 60s we took a tour of the B17G Sentimental Journey, a plane of the type he trained to be a flight mechanic on. After that he broke down in tears and talked about losing his best friend. He came from a small town where there were only 6 boys in the graduating class and only three survived, my dad, obviously, his brother and one other I never met.
When I was in Jr. High, my English teacher was quiet about what he had been through, but we found out through other teachers that during the war a grenade was thrown into an enclosed area and he threw himself on top of it to save his friends and was terribly wounded losing his lower jaw and many stomach issues. Plastic surgery had done wonders on his face. Years later I worked at a medical center and saw the Army Surgeon General's series on wounds and what amazed me is just how may terrible, terrible face wounds were. One was a young man, nose, and both jaws shot off, and there were a number of photos of him as his plastic surgery began to progress. Then, in about 1990, a plastic surgery journal did a follow up on him, he looked wonderful, had gotten married, had a great job and had kids! Totally amazing.
My Dad was a Richie’s Boy, and I’m very proud of what he did.
This is an absolute treasure, and my favorite thing Ive seen from any media in a very long time; I’m so glad it’s recorded for posterity.
I could listen to him talk all day long. He could make reading the ingredients from a shampoo bottle sound interesting. I’d so happily listen for days to a many-episode podcast of his entire life story in great detail (...and now that I think about it, somebody seriously needs do that! Probably be the greatest story most people have ever heard).
Excellent interview! Thank you, Mr. Brombert, for sharing and for serving. I wish you and yours much continued health and happiness. :)
Amazing interview. This man is so sharp and his descriptions are so vivid, enough to put you right there on the battlefield in some cases. And I love his positive attitude, wonder if that helped him to live such a long and happy life? Thank you.