Do any German vets attend D-Day cermonies? (1 Viewer)

[Larry Allen]

The number of threads here on the Forum have been fantastic and I wish to express many thanks to the folks who took the time and effort to Post them.

But I was wondering ....Do any German vets ever attend D-Day ceremonies?

True they were the "evil" enemy and the Canadian, English, Polish and US Troops who waded ashore, or dropped in from above to defeat and overturn Nazi Germany's conquest of Europe ... but I was mostly curious if anyone has ever seen German vets (and families) reliving those momentous events of so long ago.

I could not imagine a German wearing his uniform (like we see in so of the photos) but just walking around ... remembering

--- Curious Larry

 

[Bessieres]

I believe Germans have joined the D-Day ceremonies this year and previously..

Germans, now alongside Allies, honor D-Day victims

I don't know about wearing uniforms there, but from the pictures I have seen, nothing is stopping people from wearing Nazi uniforms at various Toy Soldier Shows..

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Guys,

There is a very somber German Cemetery there not too far from Omaha Beach and I have seen many German tourists there as well as around the beaches and other sights so I imagine they are around.

Dave

 

[Mitch]

I know a great many German Veterans who attend ceremonies and similar but, they seem to attend on a more regular basis and not on these ''anniversaries'' Many of them wear their medals which since WWII don't have the swastika on Iron crosses.

Not many allied vets wear uniforms either so, I don't think its down to anything about shame etc everyone I have spoken with were and still are proud to have served their country
Mitch

 

[bradleyl30]

I believe Germans have joined the D-Day ceremonies this year and previously..

Germans, now alongside Allies, honor D-Day victims

I don't know about wearing uniforms there, but from the pictures I have seen, nothing is stopping people from wearing Nazi uniforms at various Toy Soldier Shows..

When I was over there I did some searches on this and what I found is that the majority of German vets still avoid the big events, but some do go. They generally keep a low profile.

More attend either German only tours or mixed-vet tours. I believe the latter is growing in popularity, especially since most Allied vets hold no animosity and have a fair amount of sympathy for their former adversaries. Not sure about SS vets, though.

 

[Larry Allen]

Thank you Bradleyl30, Mitch, DMNamiot and Bessieres ... very good and interesting information.

I understand that the Germans had/have comrades and friends that experienced the same terror and tragedy of combat as the Allies did, but I didn't know if their presence there would stir up to many bad memories from the locals, the Allied vets or even themselves.

Being there where most people are celebrating being freed from (YOU) might be .... :rolleyes2: difficult.

Bottom line, I guess is a Soldier is a Solider and that (generally) is a bond for all men from all nations.

Many Thanks
--- Larry

 

[Mitch]

My pleasure. Many WWII vets from the allied side don't think in that way. It seems predominantly a post WWII mind set derived by some sections who feel they need to perpetuate a hate they have no real knowledge of or, real understanding of what all the men who fought went through. I have found in now thousands of interviews with vets from both sides that they felt for each other as they went through the same hell. Irrespective of political motivations the average foot slogger fought for his mate next to him and himself.

The people who fought understand this all too well and, have now mostly forgiven any issues they had. I have however found that not to be the case with Vets from the far east. I have spoken to many who served in Burma etc and they still hold a deep resentment towards the Japanese. A different and nastier war than the western front. It still is the same with some Russian and Germans who still hate each other. The western front was spared the ferocity and savagery that was displayed in these campaigns.
Mitch

Thank you Bradleyl30, Mitch, DMNamiot and Bessieres ... very good and interesting information.

I understand that the Germans had/have comrades and friends that experienced the same terror and tragedy of combat as the Allies did, but I didn't know if their presence there would stir up to many bad memories from the locals, the Allied vets or even themselves.

Being there where most people are celebrating being freed from (YOU) might be .... :rolleyes2: difficult.

Bottom line, I guess is a Soldier is a Solider and that (generally) is a bond for all men from all nations.

Many Thanks
--- Larry

 

[hotel3alpha]

Mitch,

You sir are absolutely right about the differences in the Far East. After living there for 9 years, I always was interested in the history and cultural aspects of Japan. Now, I am not trying to glib here but this what I found:

-The Koreans straight up hate (such an ugly word) yes, hate the Japanese. I have never seen such a hate like that other than what exists in the South of the United States.

-The Filipinos absolutely loathe the Japanese, yet have found a way to manage that animosity.

-The Chinese crowd...fugggetaboudit.

However, on the flip side of that coin I remember having a conversation with a Japanese Officer serving in JASDF who asked me one time (after a few sakes) "Do you have pride?". I was a little confused about the question, but I went on to answer that yes I am proud to be an American, a TEXAN and a service member. In retort I asked him and said "and you, do you have pride?" He was just eerily silent and his wife quietly changed the subject and brought back some cheer to the get together. That was weird man and I will never forget that conversation. I really don't know what to make of it, but that was some 20 years ago and I can remember that night and I often ponder that conversation.

In addition, Japan is such a crowded place, especially in the big cities like Tokyo. I mean like PACKED. While I was there and traveled through out the country by train you would every once and a while catch a older Japanese man or woman staring at you...HARD. It was a little uncomfortable to be glared at and you wondered "what are they thinking?" Did I remind them of a GI of before? Was one of their relatives killed in WWII? Did a GI steal or "take" his girlfriend. Hell, I don't know, but man if looks could kill.

When I visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial I shed a tear or two and a sniffle. However, the Japanese visitors WEPT. My girlfriend at the time was Japanese and she cried and cried and talked about the "shame" she felt. Wow man. So, WWII is a very painful subject to the Japanese with a combination of defeat, contrition, loss of national pride and shame about their countries actions. There (to me) is no "moving on" in Japan as there is always this element that the world will NEVER EVER trust them again and because of the War they were the country who was bombed. The only country in History to be bombed with nuclear weapons. I guess that is why the Japanese are the way they are now a days...y'now secretive yet very humble, formal and extremely polite.

So, in other words there are no celebrations for the Japanese vets, no Memorial Days or Veterans Day like here in the US. There are no pictures of "Grand Pa" in his Imperial Uniform on the walls of Japanese houses. In fact, there is nothing celebrating, honoring, hailing or even reminding Japan of WWII. Nothing...period.

So, yeah there is a HUGE difference Mitch in attitudes on the other side of the world and uhhh it will take a 1000 years to forget this one.

John from Texas

 

[larso]

There's been little encouragement for Japanese veterans from Australia too. There were tense times in the 1980s when Australian vets marched on Anzac Day and Japanese tourists would take pictures. There was quite a lot of resentment at Japanese investment at that time too. Along the lines of 'They couldn't beat us, so they're buying us'. It's taken more than two generations but the stronger sentiments have largely faded.

 

[semperrandyfi]

Served in N. Germany in 1986 with I/25th Marines.Met a lot of Ww2 vets and oddly enough ,none fought on the Western Front.Ost(east )Front only for these boys.Last night in country was spent in a Luftwaffe barracks.

 

[Desertkiwi]

There's been little encouragement for Japanese veterans from Australia too. There were tense times in the 1980s when Australian vets marched on Anzac Day and Japanese tourists would take pictures. There was quite a lot of resentment at Japanese investment at that time too. Along the lines of 'They couldn't beat us, so they're buying us'. It's taken more than two generations but the stronger sentiments have largely faded.

Yeah can relate to that sentiment by some vets over here in Kiwiland too. I know the odd vet who still refuse's to buy a Japanese car or even eat Asian food of any description. Most were either POW's or lost mates and then there are the 16x Kiwi coast watchers who were rounded up and beheaded and their bodies have never been located.

It's amazing how WW2's legacy still influence's so many after so many years.....very tragic and a real waste.

Lest we forget...:salute::

 

[DMNamiot]

You guys bring a good point on the differences between the Pacific and European Theaters. I have a friend whose uncle had such a bad time in the Pacific that whenever he saw an Oriental it was all he could do not to jump on them and try and kill them. He was like this till he died. Another man I knew was so closed mouthed about the war that I remember each conversation vividly whenever he would mention his service. Moving to the other side of the coin a friend of mine is Japanese and his mom and grandmother were survivors of Nagasaki which made me ask some questions and while I could tell my friend was a little taken back at first he has been living in the west long enough to know what Americans can be like when asking questions so we had a very interesting discussion of the subject. That said I could certainly see where it would be a difficult subject for them.

In my experience here in Poland I have to say a different view was brought to my attention while my wife who is the senior American at our post was at a ceremony paying homage to the end or WWII with Germans and Poles and several other nations and the Poles told us that they have less of a problem with the Germans for what happened in Poland than they do for the way the Russians treated them at the end of the war and during the subsequent occupation, the Poles totally hate the Russians. So it is very interesting to see the differences.

Dave

 

[Bessieres]

My take is that soldiers fighting soldiers can ultimately be forgiven as both fought for their respective government's cause..

However the long lasting hate is often based on the treatment of prisoners and innocent civilians particularly women and children.
In the case of civilian deaths caused by "collateral damage", well this might be ultimately forgiven..

- but if enemy forces impose slave labor, rape & purposely kill civilians, it's going to take generations to erase..

 

[Mitch]

And that can be laid at the allies as well as the axis in WWII.
Mitch

My take is that soldiers fighting soldiers can ultimately be forgiven as both fought for their respective government's cause..

However the long lasting hate is often based on the treatment of prisoners and innocent civilians particularly women and children.
In the case of civilian deaths caused by "collateral damage", well this might be ultimately forgiven..

- but if enemy forces impose slave labor, rape & purposely kill civilians, it's going to take generations to erase..

 

[Bessieres]

And that can be laid at the allies as well as the axis in WWII.
Mitch

Honestly, this is the first time I ever heard that.

Are you seriously suggesting that the nature of atrocities were EQUAL on both sides?
- the German Genocide
- The German and Japanese use of slave labor
- The Japanese Rape of Nanking
- The Japanese use of Comfort Women
- The Japanese slaughter of POWs

The Axis was evil; the Allies stamped out the evil.

 

[jager7080]

Honestly, this is the first time I ever heard that.

Are you seriously suggesting that the nature of atrocities were EQUAL on both sides?
- the German Genocide
- The German and Japanese use of slave labor
- The Japanese Rape of Nanking
- The Japanese use of Comfort Women
- The Japanese slaughter of POWs

The Axis was evil; the Allies stamped out the evil.

Stalin & the Russian's were #1 @ murder , torture & rape...You want to hold everybody else to account , well look in a mirror...

Joe

 

[Larry Allen]

An interesting twist in my post, but a good one at that. Thanks to all the "confessions" and thoughts.

So I'll add mine ... My dad was in the Navy in the Pacific during WWII.
The ONE strange comment he made to me on day, when I was about 15 or 16 was, that he would be happy with any girlfriend that I ever dated but ... "NEVER BRING HOME A JAPANESE GIRL." The look on his face was rather a bit unnerving if I remember correctly.

At the time I was a bit astounded and confused by that (out-of-character comment) but later I understood his reasons.

I wonder if that is the reason that WWII Japanese related topics / themes don't ever seem as accepted as almost all other topics (LAH excepted):rolleyes2:

For example, the mini-series (Pacific) was not as popular as (Band of Brothers). Andy and other manufacturers seem to indicate that the WWII Pacific Theater series is not to be developed, (Only Figarti I think as any series entries) or even the number of books on the subject seem far less .... But just my unscientific observation ...

--- Larry

 

[Bessieres]

Stalin & the Russian's were #1 @ murder , torture & rape...You want to hold everybody else to account , well look in a mirror...

Joe

I must give you the point regarding Russian atrocities
- although I personally feel the retaliation against Germans was somewhat understandable..

So are you then saying that the other Allied soldier's behavior was as reprehensible as that of the Axis?

 

[Combat]

I remember Reagan visited a German war cemetery when he was President and there was a lot of criticism. In part because after he had committed to attending, it turned out that the cemetery contained the graves of some members of the Waffen SS. I think to his credit that he kept the commitment as a show of reconciliation. The Ramones even wrote a song that referenced it in a negative light. They were never too bright though.

 

[hotel3alpha]

An interesting twist in my post, but a good one at that. Thanks to all the "confessions" and thoughts.

So I'll add mine ... My dad was in the Navy in the Pacific during WWII.
The ONE strange comment he made to me on day, when I was about 15 or 16 was, that he would be happy with any girlfriend that I ever dated but ... "NEVER BRING HOME A JAPANESE GIRL." The look on his face was rather a bit unnerving if I remember correctly.

At the time I was a bit astounded and confused by that (out-of-character comment) but later I understood his reasons.

I wonder if that is the reason that WWII Japanese related topics / themes don't ever seem as accepted as almost all other topics (LAH excepted):rolleyes2:

For example, the mini-series (Pacific) was not as popular as (Band of Brothers). Andy and other manufacturers seem to indicate that the WWII Pacific Theater series is not to be developed, (Only Figarti I think as any series entries) or even the number of books on the subject seem far less .... But just my unscientific observation ...

--- Larry

Larry, LARRY...LARRY!

My dad said the same thing with the same type of demeanor your dad, but went even further when I lived over there telling my mom that bringing home "mixed breed" kids was un forgivable. What the hell? Where did that come from? But, the funny thing is that he served in the Korean War, not WWII. I guess the mind set was still the evil of Japan.

Yo, War is Hell. The stories my dad told me of GI's putting coke bottles in the Japanese soldier butts and breaking them were true. The Stalin class I took in grad school opened me up to the freaking weird world of Stalin and how he rolled. GI's executed the Germans...lots of them. The My Lai Massacre is just the ones we know about and sadly we have had troops go rogue in the current Wars we are in now. War is hell...a hell inside those who are in it before, during and after the war.

John from Texas