D-day or Vimy Ridge over and over every year in the news.

[Bsuds]

We have a friend who is German and fought in the resistance against the Nazi's.

He tells some very interesting stories. Not all Germans agreed with the Nazi's and what they did.

My Wife's father is/was Dutch and spent time in concentration camps before he escaped.
I wish he was still alive to be able to hear his stories.

We do need to remember so history does not repeat itself.

[JagXKR]

I feel that it's an important enough event to deserve the attention it gets every year, 70 million plus people died, that's extremely significant not to forget.

And of those, 20 million were Chinese. Including the most civilian deaths incurred by any one nation, 16-17 million. Japan was far more efficient in killing civilians. Lest we forget.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/stude ... -world-war

[JLives]

*removed*

[JagXKR]

*removed*

[JLives]

*removed*

[sobrohusfat]

We are reminded of these horrible world war battles in the media every year. ...I'm a bit tempted to say I'm tired of hearing about them...

The childrens' children of people who were liberated from suffering for years under nazi boots don't seem to mind at all

[averagejoe]

*removed*

[mexi cali]

As off base as it might be, having been first generation Canadian from the UK back in my day whose father, grandfathers and Great Grandfathers all fought, I still have a bias towards German people. When I hear them talk, it makes me shiver for some reason. It might be the harshness of their dialect, I don't know.

my mom for the most part shared some harrowing stories of running to the shelters night after night as the Germans flew over dropping bombs and strafing them with machine gun fire. The sound of an air raid siren on TV would make her jump.

Then there was the whole genocide thing of course.

My bias, while being steeped in family history, really has no basis anymore but I can't shake it.

[Sonny Taylor]

As off base as it might be, having been first generation Canadian from the UK back in my day whose father, grandfathers and Great Grandfathers all fought, I still have a bias towards German people. When I hear them talk, it makes me shiver for some reason. It might be the harshness of their dialect, I don't know.

my mom for the most part shared some harrowing stories of running to the shelters night after night as the Germans flew over dropping bombs and strafing them with machine gun fire. The sound of an air raid siren on TV would make her jump.

Then there was the whole genocide thing of course.

My bias, while being steeped in family history, really has no basis anymore but I can't shake it.

No, it's not off base and quite understandable.

If you talked to me (a true Kraut by birth, but Canadian after 2 years old) you wouldn't hear that irritating dialect (although I'm an expert at imitating my late Father's accent).

My mother to this day cannot watch a fireworks show because it reminds her of the horrible bombing of Hamburg when she was younger.

Peace Brother.

[36Drew]

We are reminded of these horrible world war battles in the media every year.

I'm a bit tempted to say I'm tired of hearing about them.

That's really the crux right there. There are no WW1/Great War vets left alive in Canada. There's only a fraction of the survivors from WW2 left alive today. Both of those wars were absolutely devastating. With dwindling numbers of those who experienced the wars firsthand, there's soon to be little to remind us of the atrocities and devastation that such wars bring. We are at increasing risk of repeating our mistakes of the past, but this time with far more advanced technologies.

While you may tire of hearing about the wars, it's exactly that sentiment - coupled with the bravado being exchanged between the likes of the USA, China, North Korea - that make remembrance all the more important.

As for an alternative viewpoint of the wars - those who served on the Axis side - I really think that's up to the nations of the former Axis powers and the people under the control of the Nazi regime. There are certainly stories that have been shared (Schindler's List, for example) to highlight how not everyone who was forced into the National Socialist party necessarily agreed with the regime. I think you'll be hard-pressed, however, to find a captive audience that's sensitive to the plight of losing men who fought on the front line in the name of Hitler. History doesn't commemorate the loss of those who fight on the wrong side.

[Sonny Taylor]

[snip] While you may tire of hearing about the wars, it's exactly that sentiment - coupled with the bravado being exchanged between the likes of the USA, China, North Korea - that make remembrance all the more important.

As for an alternative viewpoint of the wars - those who served on the Axis side - I really think that's up to the nations of the former Axis powers and the people under the control of the Nazi regime. There are certainly stories that have been shared (Schindler's List, for example) to highlight how not everyone who was forced into the National Socialist party necessarily agreed with the regime. I think you'll be hard-pressed, however, to find a captive audience that's sensitive to the plight of losing men who fought on the front line in the name of Hitler. History doesn't commemorate the loss of those who fight on the wrong side.

"To the victors go the spoils"

I didn't expect to find a captive audience here with what I've said. In fact I expected to be shot down in flames worse than I have been so far.

WW1 was said to be "the war to end all wars", Then WW2 happened not long afterward. Since then there have been perhaps hundreds of wars in the world (though not on the scale of the world wars).

While you may tire of hearing about the wars, it's exactly that sentiment - coupled with the bravado being exchanged between the likes of the USA, China, North Korea - that make remembrance all the more important.

I have to agree with you, except that I'm not so sure that "remembrance" in the context I sense in the media will make a difference (although I hope it will).

(side note: I've seen you on these forums for years; learned a thing or two from you (respect you too). I appreciate the opportunity to finally exchange words with you in the civil spirit I've always tried maintain while being online).

[Catsumi]

"All's Quiet on the Western Front" is worth a read (or watch the movie) based on a young German chap's experience fighting on the front lines against us. No picnic for them either.

[Sonny Taylor]

"All's Quiet on the Western Front" is worth a read (or watch the movie) based on a young German chap's experience fighting on the front lines against us. No picnic for them either.

Damn you (said with humour). You just ripped open a long forgotten spot in my heart.

There's a devastating scene where a soldier fatally wounds another soldier; walks up to him as he's dying, and the guy dying pulls some picture or ID out of his uniform and asks his war killer to please tell his wife.

I just tried to find that movie scene, but I can't find it right now.

Perhaps it's because I'm in tears just thinking about it again.

[Sonny Taylor]

I just tried to find that movie scene, but I can't find it right now.
Perhaps it's because I'm in tears just thinking about it again.

I just found a reasonable faxcimily in a 1979 remake of "All quiet on the western front" which depicts a German soldier killing a Frenchman. It's not quite how I remember the original 1930 black and white movie which brought me to tears, but it's good enough and might help support my somewhat vague (initial) point about our Canadian enemies (saying that as a born Kraut), many of who'm were shocked and taken aback about what they did or were forced to do.

The video starts (automatically) at 00:58:22 and the scene I'm talking about runs to about to 01:08:00 (about 9 and a half minutes). It's not an easy watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhC4ESw ... .be&t=3508

The one thing I presume we can all agree on is that War really sucks big time.

I'm taking some license to paraphrase here:

"I didn't mean to kill you; We could have been brothers. We all have mothers, but 'they' don't want us to know that do they?!

[The Green Barbarian]

"All's Quiet on the Western Front" is worth a read (or watch the movie) based on a young German chap's experience fighting on the front lines against us. No picnic for them either.

Just watched that movie in France last week after visiting Vimy Ridge. Found it on YouTube. WWI really was a horrific war. For everyone involved.