Once the op orders come down, every soldier takes a moment to reflect inwardly on two age old questons- will I be able to kill another man and will I surrender?? Lots of bravado and chest thumping goes on but no one really knows till the metal hits the meat. The decision to raise the white flag and stand tall with hands in the air is a calculated gamble at best. Trigger fingers can be jumpy given the heat of the moment, as well as the fact that 18-20 year old men are generally on the other end of the equation- they may be stressed out to the point of irrationality and simply fire out of gut instinct, or perhaps it could be something even less mechanical- Jody may have sent me a letter breaking up with me, my mom may have sent me a letter telling me my brother totaled my car or even the fact that Cocoa puffs werent offered this morning and woe unto whatever German soldier crosses my sights this morning, he's gonna meet his maker.
Irrespective, Rob, I think you hit the nail on the head- Germany was the architect of their own demise. Every American citizen I have ever spoken with is pretty confident of that position and fully accepting of the battlefield justice that was metted out by our boys. I cannot recall one person gasping in horror as German soldiers were shot up when surrendering when we were all watching Saving Private Ryan, in fact, it seemed quite the opposite, especially when Tom Hanks character made the decision to let the one German return to the rear when he surrendered.
I could personally care less what happened to the German soldiers when they surrendered. Would I have shot em up??? More than likely not, really isnt the conclusion I ever reached when I had to answer the questions above. The men who lived, fought and died in that conflict settled their own issues on their own terms. Saints??? maybe not, but heroes, you better believe it- every last one to a man. And their legacy should always be remembered as that. You may/may not believe in a religious ideology, I do, but I do know for a fact the sacrifices that those guys made at places called Normandy, Point du Hoc, Iwo, Okinawa, etc etc mean that I am able to arise in the morning and live my life and love my family however I see fit- not idol worshipping some megalomanical corporal.
It does sadden me deeply to think of the women and children who suffered at Dresden and subsequently with the use of the atom bombs. But the United States has learned from those mistakes- anyone care to read how stringent the ROE (Rules of Engagement) are today. It would make your mind dizzy with the EXTRAORDINARY measures we undertake to ensure that civilian casualties are minimized. If there is one good thing that came from Dresden and the atomic weapons, it is that!!
I cannot say I go out of my way to be especially kind to any German I meet today. I accept that as my character flaw, nothing more. I certainly do not raise my children to reflect my thoughts. Why?? Well, I saw what the effects of WW2 (Korea and Nam) did to my hero- my grandfather. I look around at all the monuments decorating the landscapes of my nation and can honestly think of the exponential pain and suffering that those families went through because of one undisputed fact- GERMANY SENT US OVER THERE AGAIN!!! History proved Pershing correct- the German had to know he was beaten and in May 1945, with Berlin in utter ruins, he knew it and we haven't had to do it a third time.
So,thats my thought on the subject- put em against the wall, two in the chest and one in the head or send them to the pen....these HEROES settled things on their terms and I have learned to live with and fully accept that. THey made their choices. Anyone who sees it differently might want to pull their noses out of a book and look at human nature and be ETERNALLY grateful they never EVER had to be placed in the horrific situations that 1939-1945 placed so many of them in.
