Least We Forget

[Insidious Von]

My father didn't have a choice.

WW II broke out, his honourable discharge was revoked and he was shipped off to Libya. How he managed to survive the vicious desert fighting remains a mystery to me, what I am certain of is that if he had accompanied the Afrika Korps into Egypt I would not be typing this. Not that it got any easier for him, before his unit surrendered at Benghazi the onset of scurvy took most of his teeth. My father never spoke of his war experiences, toward the end of his life he would occasionally tell stories of his compulsory duty stationed in Verona. My parents immigrated to Canada so that their children would not have to experience the horrors of war.

So as we pay our respects to veterans let's remember not just those who gave their lives to defend democracy, but also to those sacrificed as pawns of ruthless dictators.

 

[dj1470]

Least?
Is there some significance to that or did you mistype "lest"?

 

[blackrock13]

Remember not to forget;

Remembrance: Being Remember

 

[GPIDEAL]

Least?
Is there some significance to that or did you mistype "lest"?

I think he meant that the least we should forget are those soldiers who had to serve under dictators.

Three of my uncles spent years in POW camps in England (maybe Germany too depending when Italy ceased to be an ally).

 

[Rockslinger]

Three of my uncles spent years in POW camps in England (maybe Germany too depending when Italy ceased to be an ally).

Many POW's from the Afrikaner Corp actually spent the rest of the war in Ontario, Canada. Many stayed in Canada after the war and married local girls. Life for these German POW's wasn't bad at all. (I doubt they were hardcore Nazis but rank and file soldiers conscripted into the German army but I still wouldn't want to meet them in battle.)

 

[Rockslinger]

Italy ceased to be an ally).

I will give credit to the Italian citizenry for turning on their dictator and hanging him and his mistress upside down in the town square.

 

[Aardvark154]

before his unit surrendered at Benghazi the onset of scurvy took most of his teeth. My father never spoke of his war experiences

I understand that the Italian troops in North Africa, nicknamed the Italian canned meat stamped Amministrazione Militare (AM) "Asino Morto" (Dead Donkey).

 

[Aardvark154]

Many POW's from the Afrikaner Corp actually spent the rest of the war in Ontario, Canada. Many stayed in Canada after the war and married local girls. Life for these German POW's wasn't bad at all. (I doubt they were hardcore Nazis but rank and file soldiers conscripted into the German army but I still wouldn't want to meet them in battle.)

I'm pretty sure that all the allied powers put German and Italian PoWs into three or four classifications: Hard Core Nazis/Fascists, Military Professionals, folks who had been conscripted but didn't have particular political views etc. . .

 

[Insidious Von]

I understand that the Italian troops in North Africa, nicknamed the Italian canned meat stamped Amministrazione Militare (AM) "Asino Morto" (Dead Donkey).

Spot on.

The Germans fought on the coastline while the Italians were stuck in the desert. The rations were so bad that most of the soldiers had dysentery and eventually scurvy. The Italians used to maintain the German tanks in exchange for food (my father included). It wasn't the best either but far better than the nutrition less gruel they got. That stronzato Mussolini was completely unprepared for war. Had it not been for the support of the royal family and Pope Pius IX, the idiot would have fallen in the early 30's. The Pope should have swing with him in Milano.

My father spent over a year as a POW in Provo, Utah. He did eventually work as a mechanic for The Allies during The Red Ball Run to the Gothic Line. When we immigrated to Canada he left his uniform behind.

 

[johnhenrygalt]

Pius IX died in 1878. Pius XII was Pope during WWII.

 

[rld]

My father didn't have a choice.

WW II broke out, his honourable discharge was revoked and he was shipped off to Libya. How he managed to survive the vicious desert fighting remains a mystery to me, what I am certain of is that if he had accompanied the Afrika Korps into Egypt I would not be typing this. Not that it got any easier for him, before his unit surrendered at Benghazi the onset of scurvy took most of his teeth. My father never spoke of his war experiences, toward the end of his life he would occasionally tell stories of his compulsory duty stationed in Verona. My parents immigrated to Canada so that their children would not have to experience the horrors of war.

So as we pay our respects to veterans let's remember not just those who gave their lives to defend democracy, but also to those sacrificed as pawns of ruthless dictators.

It is always a good time to remember the veterans and what they went through. I could go through a long list, but to make it simple, every male in my mother's family between the ages of 18-60, except one served in WWII. 50% never returned.

However Nov 11 and Remembrance day is a very Anglo-American tradition.

Germans pay their respects on Volkstrauertag which this year will be Nov 18. It is particularly fitting because it is a day not only to respect soldiers who fell for their country, but to remember all who lost their lives to oppressive governments.

The Italian equivilent falls on Nov 4.

 

[GPIDEAL]

I will give credit to the Italian citizenry for turning on their dictator and hanging him and his mistress upside down in the town square.

I don't know if his poor mistress deserved to be hung half naked like a pig carcass and spat on.

It was not exactly the Italian citizenry that summarily executred Mussolini. It was Italian Partisans.

Read this bio. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini

There are many Italians (including my dad who was young and probably didn't understand fully the ramifications of totalitarianism, but he enjoyed listening to his speeches in his adult life) who liked Mussolini cuz he got rid of red tape and got the country going again, and instilled it with pride. Not saying he is a saint, but maybe his decision to side with Germany saved Italy from destructive attacks by Nazi German (not that Italy was spared during the war by Allies who really were after the occupying Germans).

 

[nottyboi]

Yes I feel sorrow for all young men used to fight for money and power. If only our leaders were not consumer by greed, so many of them would have been able to live their lives, and not experienced the horrors of war. I also think we should remember the millions of innocents killed, they are often the largest part of the casualties.

 

[Rockslinger]

but maybe his decision to side with Germany saved Italy from destructive attacks by Nazi German (not that Italy was spared during the war by Allies who really were after the occupying Germans).

Italy was prepared to surrender to the Allies in 1943 and the death and destruction would have ended right then and there BUT Hitler sent in 1million German troops to continue the war.

I noticed from the newsreels that many of the American (should have been Canadians but we were told to stand down and let the Americans go in first) soldiers who entered Rome looked ethnically Italian, probably from New Jersey and/or New York.

 

[GPIDEAL]

Yes I feel sorrow for all young men used to fight for money and power. If only our leaders were not consumer by greed, so many of them would have been able to live their lives, and not experienced the horrors of war. I also think we should remember the millions of innocents killed, they are often the largest part of the casualties.

Yeah, no one was spared in those world wars.

 

[Rockslinger]

I wonder sometimes what would have happened if Nazi Germany had not invaded Poland? They already grabbed Austria and parts of Czechoslavaki(sp) without firing a shot. If they had stopped at that, I guess a lot of Canadian, British and American lives would have been spared. However, I think there still would have been a lot of dead Jews, gypsies, homos and others.

 

[Rockslinger]

Germans pay their respects on Volkstrauertag which this year will be Nov 18. It is particularly fitting because it is a day not only to respect soldiers who fell for their country, but to remember all who lost their lives to oppressive governments.

The Italian equivilent falls on Nov 4.

How do the Russians commemorate the Great Patriotic War? They along with the Chinese suffered the greatest loss of lives in WW II.

 

[blackrock13]

How do the Russians commemorate the Great Patriotic War? They along with the Chinese suffered the greatest loss of lives in WW II.

Look it up and learn something useful you lazy sod. How much do you get paid again?

 

[rld]

How do the Russians commemorate the Great Patriotic War? They along with the Chinese suffered the greatest loss of lives in WW II.

I have no idea. But since people of German and Italian heritage were posting their thoughts here I thought they should know about the differences.

How do the Russians and Chinese mark there events? I know the Russians tried to conquer Berlin on May Day and didn't quite make it.

Ed- a very quick search tells me that the Russians mark the end of WWII with an official holiday on May 9 called Victory Day. They also have Defenders of the Fatherland Day in February.

How hard was that?

I did half...why don't you tell us about the Chinese?

 

[blackrock13]

I have no idea. But since people of German and Italian heritage were posting their thoughts here I thought they should know about the differences.

How do the Russians and Chinese mark there events? I know the Russians tried to conquer Berlin on May Day and didn't quite make it.

Ed- a very quick search tells me that the Russians mark the end of WWII with an official holiday on May 9 called Victory Day. They also have Defenders of the Fatherland Day in February.

How hard was that?

I did half...why don't you tell us about the Chinese?

Too tough and time consuming for RS apparently. They hold a giant parade in Moscow, lasting almost an hour, and it's seems to make most of the major news cast in the world. I guess he's having one of his naps during those reports.