Retributar Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 http://www.bullrunofvermont.com/what.htm Bull Run of Vermont, inc 9/7/02 What Young Americans Should Know About World War II in Europe by Frank H. Armstrong (Note: Documentation for most of the following is included in my book, Payoff Artillery - WWII. Access our Artillery - WWII page). It was a devastating war involving the entire globe from Anchorage to Capetown and from Singapore to Murmansk. More than half the World's population were residents of one of 56 nations which were officially at war. German people fully supported the war. They lived very well on plunder from conquered nations from 1939 through 1944. World War II cannot be solely blamed on Hitler nor the Nazi Party. It was Germany's war. Who were the enemy? The Japanese population of 95 million was greater than Germany-Austria's 92 million. Austria was a willing full partner with Germany. Both Hitler and the Nazi party came from Austria. The primary objective of their war was "Lebensraum" or land. After World War I, Germany had lost their colonies in Africa and in 1939 they were out to regain new colonies. The Holocaust was very real. I and my battalion were with the 45th Infantry Division when they liberated Dachau. However, the German objective was primarily to gain land. United States' population was 140 million. German military forces had personnel resources from much of Europe. At war's end more than half of the SS were non-German. RIGA, Latvia, March 18, 2000 (AP) veterans of the Latvian Waffen SS marched through Riga to honor their 50,000 fallen comrades. (New York Times, Sunday 19 March 2000, p.5) The Wehrmacht (German Army) also had their share of turncoats. They were from Holland, France, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and other nations. These turncoats were assured of all the benefits that Germans in their armed forces were entitled. Today, those who have survived are drawing their pensions regardless of where they reside. We were really up against a European Army. Some non-Germans were mixed in with German troops. There also were foreign regiments and divisions in the German Army. They had all sold their souls to the Devil. There was no way out except death. They owed their full allegiance to Hitler. Nine million Hitler youth (1939), also swore an annual oath of allegiance to Hitler. When you swear allegiance to an individual and the individual becomes ever more evil you cannot renege. German armed forces were partially dependent on 16 and 17-year olds. Children manning anti-aircraft guns were often younger than sixteen and of both sexes. My battalion met with some of them at Nurenberg in one of the very few direct-fire artillery duels of the entire war. Some folk say German forces were good fighters. I respond, they had no alternative. Thousands of German soldiers were reassigned to punishment battalions for having shown reluctance to fight. Punishment battalions were assigned to the most hazardous undertakings such as breaching a minefield. Anti-aircraft troops and parachute troops were under Goering's Luftwafffe. Germany had about eight and a half million men under arms in 1943. There were 300 divisions in their army each with about 17,000 men and officers. Their casualties were continually being replaced by non-Germans. At war's end there remained about five million disarmed German troops in the American zones of Germany and Austria.. They still outnumbered us. Focusing on native Germans in their armed forces, they had been severely disciplined in their youth. A Dutch lady told me that Germans had been so strictly disciplined that they just expected the citizenry of the occupied countries to submit to them as they had submitted to their parents and teachers. Germans had been through a 1930-era economic depression, but it was shorter and less severe than in other nations. The Nazii regime, using devious methods, had ended their economic stagnation with a gross domestic product inrease of 6.3 percent in real terms in their first year in power. Many German youth had six years of training for war in the Hitler Youth. Catholic and Protestant Church youth groups were outlawed. Why did so many teenagers from the conquered nations volunteer to join the German Army? They did! The few who survived are receiving pensions in 2001 from Germany, no matter were they live. Once they had volunteered and sworn an oath of allegiance to Hitler there was no way out except death. Yes, many teenagers from the conquered nations resisted and did not join the German Army. Most of these had to serve in labor battalions in Germany for at least one year. What would you have done? The teenagers from Holland, France, Beguim, and Luxembourg who joined the German Army were shipped to the Russian front. The ones from Poland and the USSR were shipped to the Atlantic Ocean defenses. We met some of them in Normandy. The American Forces In 1939, eighteen other countries had larger armies than the United States. I enlisted in Headquarters Troop of the 103rd Cavalry (horse) in June 1939. The U.S. had 167,000 regular army soldiers led by 65 officers of general grade. Many of these regular army soldiers were sacrificed in the Phillipines, Guam, and Pearl Harbor. Our Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) of the 1930's (520,000 young men enrolled at the peak) never allowed military training. Americans had experienced ten years of severe economic depression. Our youth were generally undernourished, skinny, and had never been to a dentist. Half of our young men could not meet the minimum military medical standards. It seemed like the best of the lot gravitated into the U.S. Navy or the Army Air Corps. Many of these World War II seamen and airmen would have ended up as officers or high ranking non-commissioned officers had they joined the Army. Our early-war heavy losses amongst our regular army troops, made us dependent on National Guard troops. Our National Guards were not called to active duty, but were integrated into the Army. There is a real difference. In 1942, National Guard generals, and other officers, who could not meet standards were simply released and sent home. Often, they were replaced by regular army officers. In sharp contrast to what was going on in Germany, our Selective Service Act of 1940 was for men between ages 21 and 35. No teenagers were drafted until early 1943 when the draft age was lowered to 18. There were no exemptions for the wealthy, athletes, or the politically connected. Religious objectors became front-line medics. Our replacement training centers could not produce the required numbers of trained soldiers. Many divisions undertook the task of providing basic training to men who were assigned directly from reception centers. In 1943, four artillery battalions at Camp Rucker received their men direct from reception centers and then merged basic training with small-unit training. These battalions retained the same men for the entire war. It was one grand success story. The United States did have some superb young men who not only volunteered for our Infantry, but did so well in combat that they received battlefield commissions as officers. After 1943, we also had numbers of superb young men who volunteered for Airborne. Our Airborne troops did very well in the War, but frankly they were not engaged in battle to the extent of our Infantry divisions. They were often in reserve. Many of these young men ended up the war without ever having attained officer or non-commisioned officer status. Had they been in the Infantry, their true value would have been recognized. In the 1930 era, many kids grew up on farms where they learned to be self-reliant. Their transition into an Army of boisterous youth was challenging. Some were destined to remain as "loners" and fortunately found there was a meaningful role for them in the Army. They might never have made it on an aircraft carrier or a heavy bomber, but the Army really needed some "loners." Perhaps a classic in this theme is Fred Salter's book, Recon Scout (see Mediterranean Theatre section of our World War II page.) One program that stands above all others in reasons for our victory was when General Leslie McNAir (who was killed in Normandy by our Army Air Corps) took action to remedy the dearth of above average-intelligence men in our Infantry. Eighty thousand men who had been assigned to universities under the Army Specialized Training Program, along with 15,000 college students in the Enlisted Reserve Corps, and 20,000 surplus aviation cadets were assigned to Infantry Divisions and given swift Infantry training. This meant upwards of 500 of our most intelligent men were assigned to many infantry regiments. Many were killed, particularly in the 19 Infantry divisions in the European Theatre that suffered more battle deaths than any Armored, Airborne, or Mountain division. I believe our G.I. generation lost its best in the war. On the other hand, those who were killed made our victory possible. I know! I was a young lieutenant and an artillery forward observer who walked from Normandy to Berchtesgaden with our front-line troops. . You might access our World War II page and view the nine memoirs from survivors of this program, This is probably the only time that any nation sent its most intelligent young men to the front line. There was no hazing nor initiation among American troops. After all, hazing intends to humiliate the victim and that was the last thing we wanted. We were striving to build up troop self-confidence. The word "homosexual" was not in use. Seldom was an individual identified as lacking in masculinity or simply a late bloomer (yes, some kids don't develop sexually until they are in their twenties). Those who might have been in this category were still a part of our team and fully able to contribute to our victory. We knew who our enemy was! Now my own specialty happens to be the military, and I think it's significant that there was little, if any, hazing in the armed forces in World War II. It seems like a post-Vietnam-era phenomenum, as the military got separated from the mainstream of society. Insecurity drives hazing. And there are sort of homosexual undertones to much of this male hazing; therefore, you have this sort of irony of going through a kind of homoerotic experience to prove you're not homosexual. (Charles Meskes, author of The Postmodern military) New York Times Magzine, Sunday 19 March 2000, The CCC had been the first great mixing of American ethnic groups. World War II validated the results of the CCC. Catholics, Protestants, and Jews became life-long friends. Men of Italian and Polish descent were fully acceptable. Chaplains ministered to men of all faiths. Men of Spanish descent were not minorities in any sense. During the 1930's, some folk changed the prefix of their names from "Di" to "De" (such as DiFelice and DeFelice) to lessen any prejudice that might have been directed towards Italians. COMPLETE VICTORY: At the end of the war, there was no German government. The conquering powers became the government in their mutually agreed upon zones. The European population upheaval defied belief. In the American zones there were more than twenty million homeless persons along with five million disarmed German troops. Yes, German troops outnumbered American, British, and French even at War's end. The Wehrmacht (German Army) infra-structure no longer existed. Their railroad system was in shambles. Hospitals were overflowing with badly wounded patients. There were millions of maimed persons no longer able to engage in economic activity. Streets of cities and towns were piled high with rubble. Bridges and viaducts had been destroyed. The stench from burned-out buildings, and rotting human and animal bodies was everywhere. Cities were paralyzed. Survivors had taken up residence in and under the ruined buildings. The mark (Deutschmark) was valued at ten cents. The 425,000 German/Italian prisoners of war in America were slated to be shipped back to Europe as soon as possible. The surviving Germans recognized the reality of the situation. They had lost the war. Any plans for continued underground warfare were shelved. Displaced persons, from nations occupied by the USSR after the war, were generally allowed to remain in Germany. They were accepted into the German community. About one-fifth of the 1946 population of Germany had been slave laborers during the war. Today, their descendants are Germans. The anticipated disease epidemics never materialized thanks to DDT -- the American miracle response to human lice. Germans opted to cooperate with their conquerors. G.I.'s, having seen humanity at its worst, returned home determined to continue doing things that are really worthwhile. We wondered just what those millions of disarmed enemy would do to regain a meaningful role in the economy after more than a decade of only learning how to kill. About half of the G.I.s descended on colleges and universities seeking to further their education. Few had any interest in fraternities and most certainly they would not undergo hazing. They avidly took to their studies. Professors had to revise examinations to make them more challenging. Professors on the verge of retiring felt they had an obligation to the G.I. generation so they deferred retirement. The U.S. Government provided incentive in the form of education payments to the G.I.'s who had been paid as little as $21 per month for their military service. After previous wars there had been land grants and cash bonuses for veterans. The veteran's education program had an enormous influence on university education for Americans. Prior to the war, only the wealthy attended college. Economists predicted a post-war recession but one never came about. There was meaningful employment for those who did not go to college. They raised good-sized families of what became known as the baby boomer's generation.. Veterans seldom talked about the war, although many stashed away various records and even manuscripts. Reunions were deferred for about fifty years. The vast majority were model citizens. Our victory was the foundation for America's ever improving life style. America's improved life style has favorably influenced much of the world. Thanks be to God who created the G.I. Generation. XYZ Home Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJohn Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 Retributor Great post -- thanks for sharing this man's very excellent observations with us. "Focusing on native Germans in their armed forces, they had been severely disciplined in their youth. A Dutch lady told me that Germans had been so strictly disciplined that they just expected the citizenry of the occupied countries to submit to them as they had submitted to their parents and teachers. "Germans had been through a 1930-era economic depression, but it was shorter and less severe than in other nations. The Nazii regime, using devious methods, had ended their economic stagnation with a gross domestic product inrease of 6.3 percent in real terms in their first year in power. Many German youth had six years of training for war in the Hitler Youth. Catholic and Protestant Church youth groups were outlawed." The only version of disobedience the nazis sanctioned was against non-nazi parents! There's a propaganda film from the early days of nazi control in Germany that shows a very handsome German boy of about twelve years old --the perfect Aryan, actually -- being slapped around by his dotish, slovenly, brutish looking father because the boy won't sing French lyric communist anthem, The International along with him. The mother stands by helplessly watching and in the end, as I remember it, she shields him and is slapped herself. That film is typical of the extremely effective use the nazis made of movies to demonize and make vile any group they perceived as enemies -- communists, Jews, Gypsies, Slavs ... and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 Hmmmm... I want to say what I have to say very carefully. There are a few inaccurate and biased statements in the posting. I would hope that someone who knew nothing about WWII would read more than the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJohn Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 Shaka, There are always inaccurate and biased statements -- it seems impossible to me that anyone who'd been there at that time could speak about it from a purely objective point of view. Part of what I think is good about it is the fact it is biased with some of the events biased through the eyes of the observer. When I was a kid, during the fifties, I heard nothing but distorted statements about both the Germans and the Japanese from those who had fought in the war. I still remember a lot of them: Germans are robots; individual Germans can't think for themselves they can only do what they're told to do; Japanese don't feel pain like normal human beings; the one thing every Japanese wants to do more than anything else is give his life for his emperror so he can go to paradise etc & etc ... Some of these things are based in fact and some aren't but I think it's good to know what people at the time of the events were thinking. Also, I assume anyone reading it will be able to sort out what things are accurate and what things are overly influenced by the oberserver's recounting of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka of Carthage Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 JerseyJohn I agree with you. You need to be objective when writing about historical events, something you cannot be if you lived thru it. First hand accounts are great, as they give you the feel and flavor of what was happening, but you have to remember, like you said, that its a biased view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJohn Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 Shaka Well put. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I found this set of facts to be very interesting! I definitely think a conquored people will serve their new Leaders, no matter what. Also that 1930s and 1940s average Man or Woman were not as highly educated as we are today. More illiterate, less Press, less overall awareness. I'm not trying ot use this as some sort of excuse. Although I highly doubt many of you could truly describe the difference between Socialist, Communist and Democratic Governments. Today!!! Let alone 60-70 years ago. These people were offered what in place of Hitler? You didn't get very far in Germany or Austria without swearing an Oath. If you protested I know what happened to you. So who of us would protest? We're Americans, we have a strong will, but I'm guessing that a majority of us wouldn't protest to strongly something that didn't seem all that bad at the time. Look at the persecutions and exceptions made for progress in our own Government. Often we question the morality and such of what happens here or there. What is the Average American truly aware of? How much inconvienence will he take in place of Freedom and individual rights. We settled a Utopia with some of the wisest minds in the World. Not to say that is all it takes to be a SuperPower. We are now in the process of proving ourselves. Not just to the world but to ourselves, in helping making the world a better place. Though we too, could destroy the world. As could some other nations. Wrong or Right, we in the end could be in the History books. And if we pressed the button we'd be seen as the craftsmen for an evil Design. I Think the basic figures, regardless of what is said about Americans.. Along with the USSR meant we had a Larger Army to deliver if we had the time to mobilize it. Noone could match us without stressing their manpower to make it appear that way on paper. Then it was missing elsewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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