How Many German Veterans Are Alive?

[P.J. Gray]

Thank you. The passage of time is really is a terrible thing for memories and reminiscences. I am only 22 [how trite that sounds from a very young man, but it's true] and only recently seriously interested in the Third Reich. I greatly envy you all.

Unfortunately, my only German connexion, a great-uncle by marriage who fought in the '14-'18 War [my uncle is eighty-four, I am the child of my father's age!], had no sons. His daughters are still alive, though old in years, but a ridiculous family falling out [thankfully now mended] and the long distance between the Scottish Highlands and an airport, never mind between North Sutherland and Heide and Düsseldorf, has not helped me keep in meaningful contact with my surviving German relations on the Continent.

If anyone has permission to share the otherwise unpublished accounts of veterans, I for one would be an eager reader of or listener to the original German.

[ManfredV]

I read in a german newspaper that last commander of U 23 is still alive. He is 96 and was interviewed after the wreck was found in Black Sea near turkish coast. It was sunk by the crew after axis lost all harbours and there was no way out.

[Annelie]

Always wonder why people need to know who is still alive.
Just read over the weekend how someone stole all on German vets memorabilia which included hats uniforms he wore and medals
plus all the paper work....someone would have had to know where this man was to steal from him.
I never disclose who and where.

[Bertill622]

Annelie, I know a few persons that are still alive from that period and duty, but I will never share the names and locations.
Every leaf has 2 sides in the internet, and this is one of them, that could turn out the wrong way.

Best regards,
Bertill.

[Annelie]

https://www.facebook.com/Geschichte.der ... gBe8ZE1raw

Perhaps those looking for veterans can watch out and perhaps helps this veteran? If not those on this forum
then who else shall care. Also this post will show how careful veterans must be today.

[Alexander Nasman]

Why are people interested if veterans are still alive? Strange question Annelie, given that sites like this exclusively deal with the world these men helped to shape. You seem to have found a rather unsavoury angle to what seemed like an innocent question.

[Bertill622]

Annelie, thank you for the link!

Best regards,
Bertill.

[ManfredV]

Last week I visited an 93 year old lady for her birthday. She told me about her live in WWII. She was drafted ("dienstverpflichtet") and had to choose between Flakhelferin and working at garrison. She tought Flakhelferin would be more dangerous and so she was a tailor at Pirmasens barracks. But then some air raids happened. She told me about the great air raid in august 44 (one of the two great raids at Pirmasens, the other was march 45) when large parts of town centre burned down.
Female soldiers (Luftwaffenhelferin etc.) didn't fight in first line but sometimes their job was also very dangerous. Flakhelferinnen usually didn't stay at the guns but they had to phone, were "Meldegänger", assisted at headquarters and control centres etc.
When "Flakbatterie" was attacked by air raids they were in danger, too. And running as "Meldegängerin" through a burning town during or after an air raid wasn't nice.
One of my uncles died last year, he was 92. He fought at Eastern front and got frostbites but became sane again. His last rank was Unteroffizier. When Bundeswehr was founded he joined Luftwaffe and was instructor and "Spieß" at Roth airfield near Nuremberg. He last rank was Hauptfeldwebel.
But he never talked about WWII, he told many stories about his Bundeswehr time.At least he lived in a retirement home. As a former Bundeswehr professional soldier he had a good pension and financial supply.

[RandJS]

Here an American vet, 100 yrs old:

https://gosidneygo.com/updates

The last man from my father's US WWII ETO unit passed a few years ago.

Rand

[hortones]

They better make these documentaries now before the last of that era dies out. We are ushering into a new generation as the years go by.

[ManfredV]

In Germany many stories of these veterans are recorded. And not only theirs but also stories of KZ survivors, jews that escaped befor it was to late, and stories of refugies from Silesia,Pommeria und East Prussia and also of ethnic germans from Bohemia/Morawia, Banat, Poland, USSR etc.
Its a great problem in Germany that eye witnesses of WW II and KZ pass away. Who will tell young people in some years? We have great discussions about that. Many younger people don't know much or care about Hitler age.

[Edward L. Hsiao]

I understand that there were German Wehrmacht veterans of WWII who served in the French Foreign Legion or in the US armed forces after the war are not many alive today. Quite a few of them doesn't want to talk about their war service in the Wehrmacht,the FFL,or the US military service. While in the US military service,these German veterans fought in the Korean War in the 1950's and the Vietnam War in the 60's and 70's. I was hoping to hear such stories about these Germans fighting in Indochina with the French Foreign Legion but with little success.


Edward L. Hsiao

[Edward L. Hsiao]

A lot of veterans of WWII who were born in the 1910's are no longer alive in this world today. The ones who were born in 1919 are 100 years of age or soon will be. Those who were born in the 1920's are losing strength but some still able to have a sharp mind and a good heart. In the next decade of 2020's it will be the last stand for these veterans of WWII.

Edward L. Hsiao

[I have questions]

I understand that there were German Wehrmacht veterans of WWII who served in the French Foreign Legion or in the US armed forces after the war are not many alive today. Quite a few of them doesn't want to talk about their war service in the Wehrmacht,the FFL,or the US military service. While in the US military service,these German veterans fought in the Korean War in the 1950's and the Vietnam War in the 60's and 70's. I was hoping to hear such stories about these Germans fighting in Indochina with the French Foreign Legion but with little success.


Edward L. Hsiao

there is a book called "On The Devil's Tail" written by a man who served in the Waffen-SS and then the FFL in Indochina

[Sarge3525]

Most would not be actual vets (which was my great grandfather's generation) but Hitler Youth generation (kids during WW2) there are quite a few left (all senior citizens really).