Re: Jews in Nazi Germany

Eberhard Weber (glosys@PSNW.COM)
Sun, 11 May 1997 00:49:55 -0700 

On Sat, 10 May 1997 BAGB17@AOL.COM wrote:

> We did do something to end the holocaust, took some time, but we reduced the
> nation to rubble, opened the gates of death camps, took care of survivors,
> and punished Nazi leaders.    Many American young men risked and gave their
> lives to end the holocaust.I did my bit as bomber pilot over Germany.

The Berlin Schoolboy ----

As an individual you did what you did, what you had to do and you were
able to justify your actions and those of the people you fought with,
and I am glad that you did.  I did not think so at the time I was on the
receiving end of your accomplishments.  You had better information to
support your actions than we did in germany.  But today you find germany
as a Nation abhorring the actions of their leaders at that time.  Today
we see eye to eye.  But what did your dedication accomplish and what did
our suffering remedie?

In Canada there are ca. 1300 known criminals of that regime which Canada
decided to harbor for reasons of convenience.  In certain S. American
countries they harbored such criminals for God knows what reasons,
none of which were noble.  But as a german and as an american citizen
I find it to be most disturbing that even the US Government elected to
shelter many of these monsters, to give them a chance at a new and
peaceful life.  And again we see in Bosnia the same expediency being
practiced.

I am here on this list to help youngsters understand, to rattle their
minds and to look at the reality that prevailed then in hopes that they
may elect to think their own thoughts, to give them another perspective
on the same reality we experienced whatever side we were on then.

I cannot help but to mentally throw up my arms in frustration, at times,
because the lessons paid for by so much misery seem many times to
degrade to entertaining stories which have little durable consequences
in terms of what we do henceforth or what we have done since.

I am angry, frustrated and disillusioned at times and unwilling to
cast light on that period because so little has changed, if anything.
The war may be over when we look at the calendar.  But the war will not
be over in the minds and in the hearts of those who lived that war.
Even if the war is over it is not over, the only ones that are "over"
and rendered irrelevant in many ways are those who experienced it.

Whenever conflicts change from hot to cold, the fire in the hearts of
people who participated does not grow cold.  But in changes from a
partisan fire to a common fire which transgresses old rivalries and
battles, a fire to find humanism in humanity, peace in discord,
calmness amidst storms.  It is a longing deep in the heart that only
ceases when life itself ceases.

You were old enough to fly bombing missions, I was too young to do so.
Some of the firebombs you or your co-fighters droppped and which did
not explode, I collected and we used them by setting them off and
practice how to extinguish them.  The percussion bombs killed many
people for which we collected, transported and dispenses "Chlorkalk"
to stop fighting disease, sprinkeling it on corpses with open eyes
looking right through you after the flies that covered their eyes
flew off.  Fragmentation bombs which did not explode we were sent
out to find only to see prisoners sent in to disarm them since it
did not matter if they lost their lives should any of them go off while
being defused.

I was no friend of yours then, and even at the age of twelve, had I
encountered you after bailing out of a plane, one of us would not be
here today to tell our stories.  But here we are.  But what stories
do we tell?  To Whom?  For what purpose?  It is not clear to me at all,
but better to tell than not to.  In retrospect, and only in retrospect,
we see eye to eye.  What was it that prevented us to see eye to eye then?
What is it that causes so many people in so many places to think that
whatever ails them can be remedied through slaughter?

Questions, questions, questions.  If only I could see a glimmer of the
answer before I leave this planet.  Is it an idle wish?  Is it a vane
hope?  If so few listened then, how few listen now?  How much smaller
the number of listeners until no-one listenes any longer?  Questions,
questions, questions.  I am so very tired.

With best wishes to you all

Eberhard Weber
The Berlin School boy

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