A good friend is GIVING ME an RK Stickpin w/ Oak Leaves. He said the item isnt in the best of condition but, is certainly one woth something. Anyway, i'm posting this here because i'll make a pic of it to send to Volkbert to post for me. This will be one of TWO items I now own that had belonged to an RKT.
Hi Maxwell--there sure are. In fact, in a day or so--I will be talking to one who lives up north, who was in the German Army in WW2. Also, I had met and became friends with Hans Goebeler back in 1998. He was the last crewman (who pulled the plug on his Uboat) off his Uboat--U 505. Regrettably--Hans Passed away on Feb 20 1999. I found out about his passing from a phone call I got from his best friend--who during the war--was an SS/Para--then in Indochina--was in t4eh French Forign Legion. Sadly--he too passed away in 1999. I'm good friends with a man who lives in Virginia, who was an Artillery Leutnant who served on the Eastern Front in ww2, and then in 1950--moved to the USA and worked with Werner v. Braun for the agency that would become known as NASA. I'm also friends with a man who was in the Hitler Youth then in 1944--was a Feldwebel in the Luft Flak Artillerie. In 2000--I got a signed copy of the excellent book that another Uboat vet/friend of mine--had written. "Shooting the War" By; Otto Giese. He was living in Florida at the time--and had signed a copy of his book--which the other surviving U 181 vets gave to me at their reunion in Bad Camberg, Germany on September 16th 2000. Sadly, Otto passed away in 2001. There are others here on this board that know ww German vets--are friends with--related to--etc. So i'm not the only priviledged one.
I know alot of these gentlmen are getting up in years. I was wondering how they feel about talking about their experiences in the war. Are they receptive toward letters and such.
Hi "M" most I have ever talked or written to do not mind talking about their experiances. There are just two exceptions I can think of--one is Patrick Agate (I'm unclear if he is a ww2 vet but--he is in charge of a Ger vets org for a Pz Div.) The other is K.Heid Ruhl--who is still in charge of the Das Reich vets org. He is difficult to deal with and I think he resents it when someone write to him asking only about Knights Cross Recipients becaus he feels that RKTs get all the recognition and not the common soldier.
That is what I'm interested in, the grunt (or whatever they called themselves, almost said common soldier, but there is nothing common about someone who will lay down his life for his country.) Their feelings about what they saw, if the war was just in their eyes, that sort of thing.
What you said is absolutely true and it would have earned you the instant respect and gratification from my RKT friend--Remy Schrijnen. He feels exactly the same way as you do on soldiers. Oh and I think the word you were wanting that is the German term for "common soldier" is: Landser their version of "Grunt, Foot-slogger, Dogface, Ground-pounder, and Mud-slinger."
