tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post5792838878278296449..comments2024-03-28T22:08:48.577-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: Criminals or Soldiers?OldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-91219361586979214332019-01-17T18:23:28.830-08:002019-01-17T18:23:28.830-08:00Unknown - While I was still on active duty we had ...Unknown - While I was still on active duty we had a Chief Master Sergeant who had been in the same boat. He was a Hitler Youth, he was handed a <i>Panzerfaust</i> and sent off to kill Soviet tanks. One shot, then bye-bye.<br /><br />I want to say he did 30+ years in our Air Force.<br /><br />The SS were known for having more than their fair share of fanatics in the early parts of the war. But yup, the <i>Volksdeutsche</i> who were drafted just wanted to survive the war.<br /><br />And if possible surrender to the British or the Americans. Not the Soviets and not the French!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-67003489604048639862019-01-17T18:19:29.684-08:002019-01-17T18:19:29.684-08:00William - There was an entire SS division in Norma...William - There was an entire SS division in Normandy made up of 18 and 19 year old troopers, led by veteran <i>Leibstandarte-SS</i> officers and NCOs, 12th SS Panzer Division <i>Hitlerjugend</i>. They were kids brought up under Hitler as "Unknown" mentions above, very fanatic, due to their age the SS quartermaster even supplied them with a "sweets ration." Fanatic fighters, they took heavy casualties.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-44162305991805125102019-01-17T18:13:15.389-08:002019-01-17T18:13:15.389-08:00Yes, the Totenkopf goes back quite a ways. German ...Yes, the <i>Totenkopf</i> goes back quite a ways. German Army tank crews wore black uniforms with <i>Totenkopf</i> collar patches. Their version differed from the SS <i>Totenkopf</i> in that the army tank <i>Totenkopf</i> had no lower jaw on the skull. The SS version did.<br /><br />Still, I'll bet a lot of German tankers were shot because the they were thought to be SS troopers.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-33176040855364393222019-01-17T17:48:33.625-08:002019-01-17T17:48:33.625-08:00That sketch reminded me that Germans in black unif...That sketch reminded me that Germans in black uniforms with <i>totenkopf</i> cap badges goes back a long ways: <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0LBgj1Pbbtg/TR5jU1ODV-I/AAAAAAAAB80/mO3WNLp1LfU/s1600/sgt%2Binf.jpg" rel="nofollow">Brunswick Ducal Corps</a>.Larryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13296988746956477216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-12333493227642899362019-01-16T22:21:26.704-08:002019-01-16T22:21:26.704-08:00My father-in-law fought on the German side, first ...My father-in-law fought on the German side, first with the Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend). Because they got food, and by 1944 the choice was pretty much between staying a civilian and starving to death or getting bombed, so why not die with a full belly? Even the kids could see they were losing the war and the promises from above were BS, but until a certain age kids aren't really critical thinkers. <br /> He told me during the defense of Berlin he and a few buddies discharged their panzerfausts and having no other weapons scurried to the front against the Americans, hoping to be captured and fed. He moved to America after the war, settling in a German-heavy area of Iowa, and joined the US Army as payback. Just in time for the Korean War. He always used laugh at the other guys in the VFW Hall on friday nights, when they'd ask if which war he was in. He'd respond, "Both of them, and a couple of sides too!" He was pure German, so to speak, but too young to be drafted into any unit. Given that, I suspect the SS had their share of political fanatics and a much larger cohort who simply wanted to live, eat, and survive. Which isn't far different than any draftee army.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-5688897251622999362019-01-16T20:48:23.517-08:002019-01-16T20:48:23.517-08:00Tom: Yes, I saw that too, but that, as nice as it...Tom: Yes, I saw that too, but that, as nice as it is, doesn't come close to being enough.<br /><br />PaulPaul L. Quandthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734944159912671900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-11731603011779377872019-01-16T19:01:04.711-08:002019-01-16T19:01:04.711-08:00My friend says towards the end of the war his fath...My friend says towards the end of the war his father was in the SS. They even had Romanian units, Norwegian, and the dirty little secret, a French detachment. By 1945, they were desperate. <br /><br />Somewhat related, I read that as the Americans were rolling across Germany they had to kill a number of children with Panzerfausts - a German anti tank bazooka. The children were among the most fanatical of all, having known nothing but the Nazis. Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05720206407574457665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-85328049322396635242019-01-16T18:57:46.526-08:002019-01-16T18:57:46.526-08:00I read where USAA has given several million $$ to ...I read where USAA has given several million $$ to help the Coast Guard via no interest loans - good on 'em!<br /><br />https://www.stripes.com/news/usaa-donates-15-million-to-coast-guard-families-1.564602Tom in NChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03576958446243001152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-26877205876948131642019-01-16T17:26:55.555-08:002019-01-16T17:26:55.555-08:00It's a rotten situation, don't know what c...It's a rotten situation, don't know what could be done.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-41563098896903055562019-01-16T17:25:58.172-08:002019-01-16T17:25:58.172-08:00Heh. Yup, they're the baddies!Heh. Yup, they're the baddies!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-65279100724235517642019-01-16T17:22:26.846-08:002019-01-16T17:22:26.846-08:00Yup, no going back.Yup, no going back.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-44297458480328029592019-01-16T17:21:56.196-08:002019-01-16T17:21:56.196-08:00No, I wouldn't think so.
I would not have wan...No, I wouldn't think so.<br /><br />I would not have wanted to be German anywhere in Eastern Europe in 1945.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-63002874739543940542019-01-16T16:34:18.379-08:002019-01-16T16:34:18.379-08:00It is a VERY thin line in War, and once crossed ca...It is a VERY thin line in War, and once crossed can not be uncrossed.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-26454704449972666642019-01-16T16:30:36.619-08:002019-01-16T16:30:36.619-08:00OFF TOPIC:
As all of you likely know, our brother...OFF TOPIC:<br /><br />As all of you likely know, our brothers and sisters in the Coast Guard are not being paid because they fall under Homeland Security rather than the DOD when they are not called up. If any of you have contacts who can be useful, please suggest to that person that the President call up the Coasties so that they will be under the DOD and thus get their paychecks. I have made several efforts, but don't think I have had any success.<br /><br />PaulPaul L. Quandthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11734944159912671900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-81048676095149072472019-01-16T16:28:12.851-08:002019-01-16T16:28:12.851-08:00This sketch comes to mind:
https://youtu.be/hn1V...This sketch comes to mind: <br /><br />https://youtu.be/hn1VxaMEjRUa bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07871505359143633270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-72154071683933909292019-01-16T16:26:08.709-08:002019-01-16T16:26:08.709-08:00I met the widow of an SS officer (I did not press ...I met the widow of an SS officer (I did not press her on who he was or units or anything), who was present on the ground during the Ploiești raids (Tidal Wave) and watched the bombers fly past. She remembers seeing their faces.<br /><br />Also, she did not have a fun time in a Soviet slave-labor coal mine after the war...a bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07871505359143633270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-9121680750826567072019-01-16T16:08:26.691-08:002019-01-16T16:08:26.691-08:00I've met at least one former SS man living in ...I've met at least one former SS man living in the U.S.<br /><br />I knew another guy in Colorado who was of German descent, two of his uncles, first generation immigrants to the U.S. who were visiting Germany when the war broke out. They wound up in the SS. Drafted as I recall. Volksdeutsche.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-13093298597852034482019-01-16T13:45:53.090-08:002019-01-16T13:45:53.090-08:00Here's a link in Wikipedia on SS foreign volun...Here's a link in Wikipedia on SS foreign volunteers and conscripts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffen-SS_foreign_volunteers_and_conscripts<br /><br />There were also some Americans (mostly of German descent) who joined the SS. One of the Americans who joined the SS was Martin James Monti: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_James_Monti<br /><br />- VictorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-53048060832955720862019-01-16T10:23:33.023-08:002019-01-16T10:23:33.023-08:00All good points, Paweł. In truth, all wars are lik...All good points, Paweł. In truth, all wars are like that.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-54993652614790043092019-01-16T10:16:53.924-08:002019-01-16T10:16:53.924-08:00Soldiers that happen to often be criminals.
By sta...Soldiers that happen to often be criminals.<br />By standards of their own deranged ideology, they were paragons of bravery. No one can deny their fighting spirit, although this often led to unhealthy rate of casualties, as efficiency-obsessed Heer officers noted. <br />Their wanton cruelty towards enemies, especially those they deemed racially inferior makes them abhorrent to any truly honorable soldier. <br />Anyway allies were driven to no less cruel acts by the end of the total war, from carpet bombing cities to torpedoing ships full of civilian refugees, to (in case of Soviets) mass rape campaign. <br />So as we judge them, remember that no one merged from that slaughterhouse with clean hands.Paweł Kasperekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636249014878876718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-35384326099850874602019-01-16T09:31:02.002-08:002019-01-16T09:31:02.002-08:00Indeed!Indeed!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-25217571073004695012019-01-16T09:22:41.042-08:002019-01-16T09:22:41.042-08:00Well, they did make very good French Legionnaires....Well, they did make very good French Legionnaires. And they had formed units of racial and national makeup.<br /><br />But... yeah... They never really got over their unhumble beginnings, did they?<br /><br />Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-32053150476893193902019-01-16T08:29:38.622-08:002019-01-16T08:29:38.622-08:00I try!I try!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-18511955134936225572019-01-16T08:14:52.541-08:002019-01-16T08:14:52.541-08:00Thanks for shedding some more light.Thanks for shedding some more light.(not necessarily your) Uncle Skiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02705753220273516841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-35313291545807795902019-01-16T06:57:57.551-08:002019-01-16T06:57:57.551-08:00Actually this has been floating around for a while...Actually this has been floating around for a while and isn't true. While the company founded by Hugo Boss (who died in 1948 and was a member of the Nazi Party) did produce uniforms for the SA, SS, and Wehrmacht, he did not design that black uniform. That was designed by SS-Oberführer Prof. Karl Diebitsch and Walter Heck , who were not affiliated with the company.<br /><br />The things one hears these days...OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.com