Watched Saving Private Ryan with my German Neighbor.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Watched Saving Private Ryan with my German Neighbor.

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:24:59 PM EDT

I caught him crying twice.

Didn't say much during the movie and he went home shortly after.
He's a good guy and a great American wannabe. He's been in the states for four years and collects US
slang terms like some collect stamps. He has a Picture of GW Bush in his home office.

I've tried to get him to watch the film for some time, but never really pushed the issue.
He called me out of the blue and asked if I would be interested in watching it tonight.
It was a very strange experience, but very endearing at the same time. I'm somewhat speechless.

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:29:51 PM EDT

[#1]

That must have been somewhat wierd for a while.

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:30:57 PM EDT

[#2]

guess that would be kind of like watching we were soldiers with my vietnamese buddy

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:31:17 PM EDT

[#3]

Hmm. I wonder...

*sob* *sob*
(thinks to himself) We Lost, We Lost, oh, we lost!
*sob* *sob*

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:31:33 PM EDT

[#4]

I can almost see you jabbing him in the arm and saying, " Your homeboys got knocked the F*CK out"!

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:33:39 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
guess that would be kind of like watching we were soldiers with my vietnamese buddy

Or Gettysburg with my buddy from Atlanta.

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:34:38 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Hmm. I wonder...

*sob* *sob*
(thinks to himself) We Lost, We Lost, oh, we lost!
*sob* *sob*

No, KS_Aasswipe. It was more like shame and embarrassment.

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:37:33 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Hmm. I wonder...

*sob* *sob*
(thinks to himself) We Lost, We Lost, oh, we lost!
*sob* *sob*

No, KS_Aasswipe. It was more like shame and embarrassment.

Unless your buddy is in his 80's, I doubt that he has anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:39:25 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Quoted:
guess that would be kind of like watching we were soldiers with my vietnamese buddy

Or Gettysburg with my buddy from Atlanta.

sounds like an odd experience, gunner

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:39:52 PM EDT

[#9]

shit...when the medic dies I tear up every time

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:49:21 PM EDT

[#10]

What are you going to watch with him next time? Schindler's List?

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:51:32 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
What are you going to watch with him next time? Schindler's List?

Band of Brothers, episode 9.

Posted: 8/19/2005 6:54:15 PM EDT

[#12]

MATT DAMON!

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:02:53 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Hmm. I wonder...

*sob* *sob*
(thinks to himself) We Lost, We Lost, oh, we lost!
*sob* *sob*

No, KS_Aasswipe. It was more like shame and embarrassment.

Unless your buddy is in his 80's, I doubt that he has anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

I beg to differ with you.

In a business setting, I speak with people in Germany every day and I travel there at least twice a month. I have made some really good friends, and we go out for dinner and drinks. We try to talk about things non-work related. Most of them do not want to dicuss WWII. They are very embarrassed about the whole situation. I thought it would be interesting to hear where their relatives were and what they did during the war, and I was willing to share the info about my family during the war. They are not proud of their history in regards to Adolph and they do not want to talk about it. I am talking about guys in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:03:42 PM EDT

[#14]

Responses on largely anonymous internet forums to serious posts are often so helpful, aren't they?

In high school talking about the run-up to the war in Iraq with a German exchange student buddy of mine could get pretty heated, but doesn't come close to the kind of experience you and your friend had. That, in case you weren't absolutely certain before, remains a touchy subject.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:04:25 PM EDT

[#15]

One of my brother's friends was once in a chinese restaurant talking about Fullmetal jacket with his buddy. He started talking about "Easy, you don't lead them as much!" and then he realized a Vietnamese family was eating dinner right behind him.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:10:55 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Hmm. I wonder...

*sob* *sob*
(thinks to himself) We Lost, We Lost, oh, we lost!
*sob* *sob*

No, KS_Aasswipe. It was more like shame and embarrassment.

Unless your buddy is in his 80's, I doubt that he has anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

They are not proud of their history in regards to Adolph and they do not want to talk about it. I am talking about guys in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

If they are proud of that part of German history then they would have a reason to be ashamed and embarrassed. However, they were not even alive at that time. It is irrational to feel embarrassed about things that happened in previous generations. Are we supposed to feel ashamed or embarrassed about slavery? I hope not, because I don't.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:22:36 PM EDT

[#17]

I had a cool german guy bloody my ear at the range. Man, that rifle kicked out the brass.

Hope to shoot with him again , Grock was smart enough to move back, I laughed and got cut.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:24:44 PM EDT

[#18]

You're going to see differences too, between Ossi's and Wessi's. In the east they didn't talk about the war in school like they did in the west (the Russians after all, didn't have much to be proud of either). The Germans probably feel kind of like we might feel if a relative were in prison, or a druggy or whatever--but the duration of their anxiety being due to the harshness of their family history. I mean you had a few generations of people who, for seemingly incomprehensible reasons, lost their minds for a decade.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:31:19 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Hmm. I wonder...

*sob* *sob*
(thinks to himself) We Lost, We Lost, oh, we lost!
*sob* *sob*

No, KS_Aasswipe. It was more like shame and embarrassment.

Was probably like when we watch films like "Downfall" and like the good people, despise the bad people and feel sorry for the innocents who got caught up in the whole fucking mess.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:33:44 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Hmm. I wonder...

*sob* *sob*
(thinks to himself) We Lost, We Lost, oh, we lost!
*sob* *sob*

No, KS_Aasswipe. It was more like shame and embarrassment.

Unless your buddy is in his 80's, I doubt that he has anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.

Hey folks here are not pushing 200 and they are still upset about the Civil War.

Posted: 8/19/2005 7:53:45 PM EDT

[#21]

Maybe he raacted as a human being and was stressed out by the violence, carnage and sheer drama of the conflict. Maybe he identified with a character that wasn't from his homeland. He must have racted as a human and should we expect that he must react as a National Socialist even though he hadn't been inculcated as one? Anyone born after 1945 in E or W Germany, Austria, Czechoslovikia, Hungary, Italy, etc isn't a raving Fascist and I hope that his reaction was a normal, human one.

Good for him (in a twisted sort of manner). I'm sorry that he lost his composure but the first time I watched that movie I had a lump in my throat for a few hours too.

Art and reality sometimes mix. In this movie (and I'm not speaking as someone who has endure even one ten millionth of the HELL those men did) it came close.

Posted: 8/19/2005 9:16:14 PM EDT

[#22]

my grandfather was in the german army during WWII. he was on the russian front, and is grateful he never had to fight against any americans. spent 4 years in a russian prison camp, and is a great american (he can quote the gettysburg address). we don't have many in depth discussions about the war. he talks about how fortunate he was in not being killed despite being wounded twice. and mentions that lots of germans died in american prison camps too, mainly because they simply didn't have the resources to handle so many prisoners near the end. I don't get the sense that he is justifying anything the germans did. it just seems an uncomfortable subject. I wonder what I would have done in his shoes.

Posted: 8/19/2005 9:28:34 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
my grandfather was in the german army during WWII. he was on the russian front, and is grateful he never had to fight against any americans. spent 4 years in a russian prison camp, and is a great american (he can quote the gettysburg address). we don't have many in depth discussions about the war. he talks about how fortunate he was in not being killed despite being wounded twice. and mentions that lots of germans died in american prison camps too, mainly because they simply didn't have the resources to handle so many prisoners near the end. I don't get the sense that he is justifying anything the germans did. it just seems an uncomfortable subject. I wonder what I would have done in his shoes.

My way of thinkin' only the Nazi party faithful were scumbags. The average German soldier wasn't much different than the average American GI...he was fighting for his country...and likely was drafted.

As far as German prisoners...Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and several other states were full of POW camps. My dad used to tell me about the POWs sneaking out to go to the movies in Wewokka. There were lots of POWs that died in the Russian camps and the German soldiers KNEW the Russians were mean SOB's to their prisoners...that's why so many German soldiers gave up so quickly....they wanted to be captured by Americans and not Russians.

Posted: 8/19/2005 11:26:06 PM EDT

[#24]

My great grandfather was a german during ww2, In the begining of the war he was locked up in germany for speaking out against the GOV. After time there he was drafted in for a short time then locked up in a American prison in TX for the remainder of the war. My grandfather met his daughter in Germany at the end of the war. After my great grandfathers stay In a Texas pow camp he never wanted to come to America to visit his daughter.

The big thing to remeber is that not all people there agreed with Hitler, and speaking out against the GOV got you a quick ticket to jail.

Posted: 8/20/2005 12:16:22 AM EDT

[#25]

I have been stationed (American GI) in Germany for almost 7 years. WWII and the Germans is just a subject the younger generations choose to ignore.. Generally Americans dont bring it up either.

Most German towns have small memorials to the WWI and WWII war dead.. If you go to Bavaria, they are even more elaborate.

Here is the one in Berchtesgaden-

Many of them have where the soldier was killed. Normally about 75-80% were killed in Russia, with maybe one killed in France, one in North Africa, one in the Rhineland, etc.

Visit an old German, and most will be happy to show you pictures of them during the war. They might even have a picture above the mantel piece.Walk around, and once in a great while you will see a man in his 80s with no arm or no leg. I know one guy that has parts of his hand and hip missing thanks to an American grenade in Italy. This Generation is generally not ashamed of what they did. Many are proud. Why shouldnt they be? Their country asked for their help in a time of need, and they responded.

Visit a Bundeswehr base, and you will not find any sort of unit pride for their actions during WWII. The only exception are Fallschrimjagers (paratroopers).. They have plenty of murals, photos, etc displaying their WWII forbearers exploits.

One thing to remember- They were fed lies and propaganda telling them what they doing was right..This is no different then the US Military today. Before any mission (Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afganistan), we are fed "news" on how the enemy is bad, or the local people want out help, etc....

ETA- The German dubbed version of Saving Private Ryan was called "Soldat Ryan" (soldier Ryan).

Posted: 8/20/2005 1:50:51 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

My way of thinkin' only the Nazi party faithful were scumbags. The average German soldier wasn't much different than the average American GI...he was fighting for his country...and likely was drafted.

As far as German prisoners...Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and several other states were full of POW camps. My dad used to tell me about the POWs sneaking out to go to the movies in Wewokka. There were lots of POWs that died in the Russian camps and the German soldiers KNEW the Russians were mean SOB's to their prisoners...that's why so many German soldiers gave up so quickly....they wanted to be captured by Americans and not Russians.

I don't buy it. Germany was a civilized country. Even the most green impressionable soldier in the German Army had to wonder at some point: What are we doing in so many countries? Why are we acting agressively and bombing cities of countries that never attacked or invaded Germany?

Dave

Posted: 8/20/2005 2:25:03 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Quoted:

My way of thinkin' only the Nazi party faithful were scumbags. The average German soldier wasn't much different than the average American GI...he was fighting for his country...and likely was drafted.

As far as German prisoners...Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and several other states were full of POW camps. My dad used to tell me about the POWs sneaking out to go to the movies in Wewokka. There were lots of POWs that died in the Russian camps and the German soldiers KNEW the Russians were mean SOB's to their prisoners...that's why so many German soldiers gave up so quickly....they wanted to be captured by Americans and not Russians.

I don't buy it. Germany was a civilized country. Even the most green impressionable soldier in the German Army had to wonder at some point: What are we doing in so many countries? Why are we acting agressively and bombing cities of countries that never attacked or invaded Germany?

Dave

Well, they were fed lies and propaganda..

When the Germans invaded Poland, they told them that they were going to protect the ethnic Germans there. They were basically told the same thing when they annexed Austria and Czech.

When they invaded Russia, Germans were told that it was a pre-emptive strike (sound familiar?), as the Russians would invade if given the chance.

Not saying the Germans were right, but just giving some of their reasoning behind things. The whole world believes the US invaded Iraq under false pretenses, just like the whole world believes the Germans invaded most of Europe under false pretenses.

Posted: 8/20/2005 2:38:54 AM EDT

[#28]

that would be fun, poke him in the ribs every now and then and say "Fritz! Here's where we kick your ass again!", then point to the tube and laugh

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:10:48 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Quoted:
my grandfather was in the german army during WWII. he was on the russian front, and is grateful he never had to fight against any americans. spent 4 years in a russian prison camp, and is a great american (he can quote the gettysburg address). we don't have many in depth discussions about the war. he talks about how fortunate he was in not being killed despite being wounded twice. and mentions that lots of germans died in american prison camps too, mainly because they simply didn't have the resources to handle so many prisoners near the end. I don't get the sense that he is justifying anything the germans did. it just seems an uncomfortable subject. I wonder what I would have done in his shoes.

My way of thinkin' only the Nazi party faithful were scumbags. The average German soldier wasn't much different than the average American GI...he was fighting for his country...and likely was drafted.

As far as German prisoners...Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and several other states were full of POW camps. My dad used to tell me about the POWs sneaking out to go to the movies in Wewokka. There were lots of POWs that died in the Russian camps and the German soldiers KNEW the Russians were mean SOB's to their prisoners...that's why so many German soldiers gave up so quickly....they wanted to be captured by Americans and not Russians.

There were several in Nebr. as well.

There was one just north of the little town next to my hometown in the southwest corner.

A few years ago the newspaper was running a "local history" column and had a story about the camp.

Seems a small group of Germans snuck out one night and left a birthday basket on the front step of the camp's CO house. Then snuck back into camp. Shades of "Hogan's Heros".

Posted: 8/20/2005 3:32:56 AM EDT

[#30]

Ive brought it up with a couple of the guys in my unit's german girlfriends (stationed in Germany myself) and they usually turned various shades of pink and changed the subject as quickly as possible. I guess being able to go to prison for saying the wrong things about WWII kinda makes it a touchy subject. (Im in Kitzingen, just outside of Wuerzburg. Wuerzburg is an Awesome german university city...primo pickins.

)

John

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:05:14 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Hey folks here are not pushing 200 and they are still upset about the Civil War.

I think it has more to do with the Federal government pushing around the State government then anything else. After all, you have to admit, the America hasn't been the same since the War of Northern Aggression. State Rights have gone right out the window and the Feds do just about what they damn please. Take Calif. for instance, they pass a Medical Marijuana law and the Feds shoot it down. The States are suppose to be sovergine within their own borders but since the "Not So" Civil War the Feds run the show and all the States have to jump thru the hoop.

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:21:04 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:

I don't buy it. Germany was a civilized country. Even the most green impressionable soldier in the German Army had to wonder at some point: What are we doing in so many countries? Why are we acting agressively and bombing cities of countries that never attacked or invaded Germany?

Dave

They were also a proud people laid low by the incredibly harsh terms of the Versailles treaty that ended WWI. Incredible levies against their economy and embarassing restrictions on what type of military they could have. After 20 years of that treatment they probably had enough and were willing to deal out a little whupass. The Germans saw themselves as the victims of a vindictive France, especially with the help of Hitler's rhetoric.

Face it, the French, at least the Parisian elite who lead the country, are condescending and annoying on their best day. And while the Germans and their ally Austria-Hungary nominally started things in 1914, in the previous century the French were the provacateurs of agression in Western Europe.

If Hitler hadn't gone off on his very own Sicilian campagin against Russia things would have wrapped up fairly quickly in the ETO and quieted down for a few years most likely.

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:23:28 AM EDT

[#33]

Deutchsland ~~uber~~ unter alles

Andy

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:38:35 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
Deutchsland ~~uber~~ unter alles

Andy

How bout' Andy unter die Jungen.

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:45:21 AM EDT

[#35]

Good for them to be proud of what they did in '39-'45.
My grandpa would really appreciate it when he heard that.
He had to feed his family fucking flower-bulbs in '44 to survive.
Really something to be proud of.
They'd better be ashamed.

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:45:52 AM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
my grandfather was in the german army during WWII. he was on the russian front, and is grateful he never had to fight against any americans. spent 4 years in a russian prison camp, and is a great american (he can quote the gettysburg address). we don't have many in depth discussions about the war. he talks about how fortunate he was in not being killed despite being wounded twice. and mentions that lots of germans died in american prison camps too, mainly because they simply didn't have the resources to handle so many prisoners near the end. I don't get the sense that he is justifying anything the germans did. it just seems an uncomfortable subject. I wonder what I would have done in his shoes.

My way of thinkin' only the Nazi party faithful were scumbags. The average German soldier wasn't much different than the average American GI...he was fighting for his country...and likely was drafted.

As far as German prisoners...Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and several other states were full of POW camps. My dad used to tell me about the POWs sneaking out to go to the movies in Wewokka. There were lots of POWs that died in the Russian camps and the German soldiers KNEW the Russians were mean SOB's to their prisoners...that's why so many German soldiers gave up so quickly....they wanted to be captured by Americans and not Russians.

There were several in Nebr. as well.

There was one just north of the little town next to my hometown in the southwest corner.

A few years ago the newspaper was running a "local history" column and had a story about the camp.

Seems a small group of Germans snuck out one night and left a birthday basket on the front step of the camp's CO house. Then snuck back into camp. Shades of "Hogan's Heros".

There was a large one in the town I live near. They worked at a canning factory. Many were loaned out to local farmers during harvesting season. My father-in-law farmed then and would go early in the am with a truck and get 20 to pick corn. Most of the POW's were farm boys and loved it. They also loved the good food my mother-in-law cooked for them.

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:51:18 AM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
Quoted:
guess that would be kind of like watching we were soldiers with my vietnamese buddy

Or Gettysburg with my buddy from Atlanta.

Were we at war against Vietnam, or at war alongside Vietnam? Have the leftists in the US spun things so bad that even folks on this site don't remember the history of WHY most Vietnamese immigrants cam to America? Despite the rhetoric, the Viet Cong were not a popular movement, and the North Vietnames brutally conquered South Vietnam in after we left 0 they did not "liberate" it.

Sorry, but feeling quite grumpy these days.

Posted: 8/20/2005 4:56:57 AM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:... The whole world believes the US invaded Iraq under false pretenses, just like the whole world believes the Germans invaded most of Europe under false pretenses.

Europe is not the whole world. You have been over there too long, my friend. Europeans think they are the "whole world" but I have news for you:

1) The "whole world" DOES NOT use GSM except the US.

2) The "whole world" DOES NOT call Soccer Footbal except the US.

3) The "whole world" DEOS NOT believe the US invaded Iraq under false pretenses.

Posted: 8/20/2005 5:19:50 AM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
that would be fun, poke him in the ribs every now and then and say "Fritz! Here's where we kick your ass again!", then point to the tube and laugh

It would be more fun to see you do it so I could watch this 6'2" 220 lb German kick boxer stomp your
ass. Then, point at you and laugh.

Posted: 8/20/2005 5:27:06 AM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
I can almost see you jabbing him in the arm and saying, " Your homeboys got knocked the F*CK out"!

If you would take some time and do a little research, you will discover that at the beginning of WWII, Nazi Germany and it's war machine were many years ahead of the United States as far as technology goes. If Hitler would have been a little patient in 1939, and held off a year or two before he invaded Poland, the outcome of WWII more than likely would have been a little different. Yes, we did defeat Germany, and we did kick there ass, but only by the skin of our teeth. If Hitler would have realized that the Normandy invasion was the real deal and not a diversion like first thought, and he would have released his Panzer tanks in time, they more than likely would have stopped the invasion dead in it's tracks, and pushed us right back into the sea. This would have given Hitler the time he needed to perfect his futuristic weapons. Just imagine if Hitlers MP 44, (also known as the Sturmgewehr 44, the father of all assault rifles, which was shockingly produced too little of) The V2 rocket, (easily the father of todays ICBM's) The Horten V flying wing ( which looks shockingly identical to our stealth fighter and B2 bomber of today.) and the Me-262 (the first German jet plane to fly in combat, that claimed more than 500 allied aircraft) were ever produced in mass quantities, we clearly would of been unprepared for such an onslaught, and the outcome of WWII would of been very different.

Posted: 8/20/2005 5:34:01 AM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I can almost see you jabbing him in the arm and saying, " Your homeboys got knocked the F*CK out"!

If you would take some time and do a little research, you will discover that at the beginning of WWII, Nazi Germany and it's war machine were many years ahead of the United States as far as technology goes. If Hitler would have been a little patient in 1939, and held off a year or two before he invaded Poland, the outcome of WWII more than likely would have been a little different. Yes, we did defeat Germany, and we did kick there ass, but only by the skin of our teeth. If Hitler would have realized that the Normandy invasion was the real deal and not a diversion like first thought, and he would have released his Panzer tanks in time, they more than likely would have stopped the invasion dead in it's tracks, and pushed us right back into the sea. This would have given Hitler the time he needed to perfect his futuristic weapons. Just imagine if Hitlers MP 44, (also known as the Sturmgewehr 44, the father of all assault rifles, which was shockingly produced too little of) The V2 rocket, (easily the father of todays ICBM's) The Horten V flying wing ( which looks shockingly identical to our stealth fighter and B2 bomber of today.) and the Me-262 (the first German jet plane to fly in combat, that claimed more than 500 allied aircraft) were ever produced in mass quantities, we clearly would of been unprepared for such an onslaught, and the outcome of WWII would of been very different.

No, it would not have been different. It just would have taken a lot longer.
They had little natural resources.
Particularly fuel.
We, and the Russians, were blessed with excessive amounts.

Posted: 8/20/2005 5:56:32 AM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I can almost see you jabbing him in the arm and saying, " Your homeboys got knocked the F*CK out"!

If you would take some time and do a little research, you will discover that at the beginning of WWII, Nazi Germany and it's war machine were many years ahead of the United States as far as technology goes. If Hitler would have been a little patient in 1939, and held off a year or two before he invaded Poland, the outcome of WWII more than likely would have been a little different. Yes, we did defeat Germany, and we did kick there ass, but only by the skin of our teeth. If Hitler would have realized that the Normandy invasion was the real deal and not a diversion like first thought, and he would have released his Panzer tanks in time, they more than likely would have stopped the invasion dead in it's tracks, and pushed us right back into the sea. This would have given Hitler the time he needed to perfect his futuristic weapons. Just imagine if Hitlers MP 44, (also known as the Sturmgewehr 44, the father of all assault rifles, which was shockingly produced too little of) The V2 rocket, (easily the father of todays ICBM's) The Horten V flying wing ( which looks shockingly identical to our stealth fighter and B2 bomber of today.) and the Me-262 (the first German jet plane to fly in combat, that claimed more than 500 allied aircraft) were ever produced in mass quantities, we clearly would of been unprepared for such an onslaught, and the outcome of WWII would of been very different.

No, it would not have been different. It just would have taken a lot longer.
They had little natural resources.
Particularly fuel.
We, and the Russians, were blessed with excessive amounts.

Yes, we did have the natural resources, but if the Nazi's had control over most of Europe's airspace, It would have been almost impossible to launch a major campaign, and that would have ment Romanian oil refineries would of been pretty much untouched. Also remember that Nazi Germany was also working on it's own atomic program. Given the time, they more than likely could have produced a V2 rocket that would of reached our eastern seaboard.

Posted: 8/20/2005 6:00:33 AM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
Quoted:
that would be fun, poke him in the ribs every now and then and say "Fritz! Here's where we kick your ass again!", then point to the tube and laugh

It would be more fun to see you do it so I could watch this 6'2" 220 lb German kick boxer stomp your
ass. Then, point at you and laugh.

Everyone's an internet tough guy. I guess I'd have to draw down and then point at ol' Fritz and say "chalk up another one!"

Posted: 8/20/2005 6:59:04 AM EDT

[#44]

As far as German prisoners...Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and several other states were full of POW camps. My dad used to tell me about the POWs sneaking out to go to the movies in Wewokka. There were lots of POWs that died in the Russian camps and the German soldiers KNEW the Russians were mean SOB's to their prisoners...that's why so many German soldiers gave up so quickly....they wanted to be captured by Americans and not Russians

they were treated better than the minorities in this country at that time.

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:48:11 AM EDT

[#45]

I have only one uncle left of five brothers including my grandfather. All five served in WW2. 3 of the 5 served in the European theater around or near after D-Day. the other two, my Gpa and my Uncle Billy were in the Pacific. Of the 3 brother s in Europe. one was Army infintry that landed at Utah and marched through Europe. one (can't remember which) was among a group that liberated a concentration camp in Poland. One of the 3 was in the 101st at Bastogne (arrived shortly before that one as a replacement). The other was also army and entered near the end of the war. My grandfather was waiting on a troop ship just off the home waters of the Japanese mainland when Truman made the only good decision a Democrat has made since FDR died. Uncle Billy was a Marine during the island hopping campaigns. Mostly in Saipan forward (carried a BAR).

All 5 made it through the War. All of them told lots of stories around me as a child, all of which had a huge impact. Most of them had nothing but respect for the soldiers of the other side (my Uncle Billy had too many memories of fighting 15 year old Japanese kids to have a great deal of respect for their leaders).

My Uncle JW, Ira and James all had a deep respect for the average German soldier. I never heard any of them say anything negative about the soldiers they fought against except for the killing of other Americans and Allies. Nuremberg took care of a lot of the decision makers. For the ones that slipped through the cracks, fortunes of war.

I've only seen SPR once, can't do it a second time. If I even hear BOB main theme I fog up.

I've only got one of the Uncles left. I am very grateful that I listened to them while they were here.

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:50:13 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
I can almost see you jabbing him in the arm and saying, " Your homeboys got knocked the F*CK out"!

Posted: 8/20/2005 11:55:10 AM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
One of my brother's friends was once in a chinese restaurant talking about Fullmetal jacket with his buddy. He started talking about "Easy, you don't lead them as much!" and then he realized a Vietnamese family was eating dinner right behind him.

Reminds me of the time I took a Jewish girl to see Das Boot.

As the movie was starting, she almosted shouted at me: "God, Pic, leave it to you to take a Jew to see a German made WW2 movie!"

Seeing it was Kodiak, the whole theatre cracked up.

Another chapter in the True Tastelessness of Piccolo.

Posted: 8/20/2005 12:33:58 PM EDT

[#48]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I can almost see you jabbing him in the arm and saying, " Your homeboys got knocked the F*CK out"!

If you would take some time and do a little research, you will discover that at the beginning of WWII, Nazi Germany and it's war machine were many years ahead of the United States as far as technology goes. If Hitler would have been a little patient in 1939, and held off a year or two before he invaded Poland, the outcome of WWII more than likely would have been a little different. Yes, we did defeat Germany, and we did kick there ass, but only by the skin of our teeth. If Hitler would have realized that the Normandy invasion was the real deal and not a diversion like first thought, and he would have released his Panzer tanks in time, they more than likely would have stopped the invasion dead in it's tracks, and pushed us right back into the sea. This would have given Hitler the time he needed to perfect his futuristic weapons. Just imagine if Hitlers MP 44, (also known as the Sturmgewehr 44, the father of all assault rifles, which was shockingly produced too little of) The V2 rocket, (easily the father of todays ICBM's) The Horten V flying wing ( which looks shockingly identical to our stealth fighter and B2 bomber of today.) and the Me-262 (the first German jet plane to fly in combat, that claimed more than 500 allied aircraft) were ever produced in mass quantities, we clearly would of been unprepared for such an onslaught, and the outcome of WWII would of been very different.

Nope,

Even if ALL the German forces in France had attacked the Beacheads on 6 June 1944 it would have made no difference!!! The Allies had THOUSANDS of Fighters and Bombers over the beachhead and Naval Gunfire available from hundreds of warships, including battleships with 14, 15 and 16" guns… they would have slaughtered the Germans.

V2… what a waste of resorces!!! It was a hugely expensive and innacurate way to send a 1 ton warhead 400 miles. A Thunderbolt fighter could do the same but go twice as far and hit a pin point target!!

The USA was doing just as good, in some ways better, aeronautical research as the Nazis.

Let us not forget, the Boeing B-29 dates from a 1940 design request. Nothing piston engined the Germans came up with can hold a candle to the B-29 for state of the art high tech. Piston engines fighters? The Mustang and Thunderbolt were the match of anything the Germans had and held their own with the Jets.

Likewise jets, once the US decided to build jets they did, and had the Lockheed P-80 Shootinf Star which was as good as, and in many ways better than the German jets.

Submarines?… US Navy submarines were far better technically than the German U-boats!

Surface ships?… IF the German Navy had gotten into a standup fight with US Warships they would have lost. US warships were technically better and much better gunnery platforms. Carriers… well we all know how far ahead of the game the US was in that field!

Tanks… much is made of the much vaunted 'superior' german tanks. Hmmm, the M-26 Pershing could have been available in quantity from Spring 1944 if the Brass had wanted it. It was as good as a Tiger in firepower and armor, and a much more robust and reliable tank.

Weaponry… US Artillery was good, US small arms were far better than the German stuff. The US was the ONLY army to field an army 100% equipped with excellent semi automatic rifles. The M1 Garand and the M1 Carbine. They were far better than anything else in the field. Athough much is made of the MP44, in reality the M1 and M2 Carbines were as useful and just as effective in combat. Machine guns? Pfft!!! Ma Duce took no prisoners!

Nuclear Weapons? When they captured Werner Heisenberg the Allies realised the Germans did not have a clue how to build a working bomb, they had gone up the wrong track and were nowhere near getting back on it. Meanwhile back at Los Alamos, they were MASS PRODUCING Fat Man bombs in 1945!! There were 100 bombs waiting for the Plutonium core in September 1945 at Los Alamos.

REALITY!!! German could NEVER have beaten the US's industrial might.

ANdy

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Watched Saving Private Ryan with my German Neighbor.

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