Last WWII Veterans to Die & Memory of WWII
mra...@willamette.edu
passed away this month.
Erich Kaestner died January 1 in a nursing home in Cologne at the age
of 107, his son told The Associated Press."
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/01/25/veteran.obit.ap/index.html
If the last WWII veterans die at around the same time, then Germany's
last WWII veteran will die in 2035. But I would guess that the last
WWII veterans will be around longer than their WWI counterparts,
simply because there are more of them, and because medical technology
will continue to improve, so I'm guessing that most major combatants
will have one or two veterans from WWII in 2045.
What do you think? When the last WWII veterans die, how will they be
remembered?
--
Mike Ralls
Michael G. Koerner
AFAIK, there are only a couple of USA WWI veterans known to still be alive,
too. There should be some somber ceremony of remembrance for when the last
one passes. Same thing for the WWII vets - from all sides. IMHO, there is no
dishonor nor shame if you fight fairly and honorably for a losing side.
BTW, didn't the Nazis conscribe boys as young as ten to fight on the front
lines in WWII's final days? If so, the last ones would be 107 in 2042.
--
___________________________________________ ____ _______________
Regards, | |\ ____
| | | | |\
Michael G. Koerner May they | | | | | | rise again!
Appleton, Wisconsin USA | | | | | |
___________________________________________ | | | | | | _______________
Haw Dee Tools
"Michael G. Koerner" wrote:
> mra...@willamette.edu wrote:
> > "A German believed to have been the country's last World War I veteran
> > passed away this month.
> >
> > Erich Kaestner died January 1 in a nursing home in Cologne at the age
> > of 107, his son told The Associated Press."
> >
> > http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/01/25/veteran.obit.ap/index.html
> >
> > If the last WWII veterans die at around the same time, then Germany's
> > last WWII veteran will die in 2035. But I would guess that the last
> > WWII veterans will be around longer than their WWI counterparts,
> > simply because there are more of them, and because medical technology
> > will continue to improve, so I'm guessing that most major combatants
> > will have one or two veterans from WWII in 2045.
> >
> > What do you think? When the last WWII veterans die, how will they be
> > remembered?
>
> AFAIK, there are only a couple of USA WWI veterans known to still be alive,
> too. There should be some somber ceremony of remembrance for when the last
> one passes. Same thing for the WWII vets - from all sides. IMHO, there is no
> dishonor nor shame if you fight fairly and honorably for a losing side.
>
> BTW, didn't the Nazis conscribe boys as young as ten to fight on the front
> lines in WWII's final days? If so, the last ones would be 107 in 2042.
>
Yes. Any child they could scramble out with a fake wood
rifle or lance or sharp stick! Many at gunpoint. Many escaped
like my friend Klaus who made it to US lines and eventually
came to the USA to be raised right where my grandmother
was the superintendent of schools. Another freuden fon mier
Tomas Sandahl, a Jewish boy, who I was in an orphanage with
for a brief time. Tomas was bayoneted in the back when he
dropped his widden rifle at the front after Normandy and
left to die. American soldiers found him alive and brought him
behind the front to a makeshift hospital. Oh my God I dont
like talking about this -
But to you Michael in Appleton I just lost my close cousin
like a brother to me who lived at Appleton. He had many years of public service
there. I will not mention his name.
But we miss Mike badly. My regards to you and your fine
post.
Regards from Iowa City.
Michael G. Koerner
My condolences and thanx for a wonderful reply!
earlcolby...@sympatico.ca
> What do you think? When the last WWII veterans die, how will they be
> remembered?
For the most part they are already forgotten. Most people under the
age of 30 not only views WWII as dead history, but in many cases can
not even understand the motives/culture or people pre-1980's. It is
not just that they were not alive/recently born to the times. It is
how different the times were. This makes it very hard to connect
emotionally to the vets, the mindsets are so different.
The Horny Goat
wrote:
>> BTW, didn't the Nazis conscribe boys as young as ten to fight on the front
>> lines in WWII's final days? If so, the last ones would be 107 in 2042.
>
>Yes. Any child they could scramble out with a fake wood
>rifle or lance or sharp stick! Many at gunpoint. Many escaped
>like my friend Klaus who made it to US lines and eventually
>came to the USA to be raised right where my grandmother
>was the superintendent of schools. Another freuden fon mier
>Tomas Sandahl, a Jewish boy, who I was in an orphanage with
>for a brief time. Tomas was bayoneted in the back when he
>dropped his widden rifle at the front after Normandy and
>left to die. American soldiers found him alive and brought him
>behind the front to a makeshift hospital. Oh my God I dont
>like talking about this -
In the last days of the war who was and was not a soldier in Germany
became a bit fuzzy. In 1945 my high school physics teacher was 11
years old and was in an SS "Ordensbergen" which was a militarized
school including weapons training.
Since he was in the American sector he never actually fought but he
insists he knew kids further east facing the Russians who WERE pressed
into service though no more in the army than he was.
Haw Dee Tools
"Michael G. Koerner" wrote:
I appeciate this and thank you. Sincerely.
Haw Dee Tools
The Horny Goat wrote:
Absolutely true. Every word you say and more. The Eastern
front was the worse. Many of the children pressed into service
tried to escape and were shot. Surrendering wasnt even an option with the
Russians. Many Russian children did not
escape being pressed into service either. A kid had a far better
chance on the American side. Being captured or taken by an
American was tantamount to being rescued by God and his
angels, literally.
We must keep this spirit alive!
Thank you.