So, The Canadian parliament are now inviting NAZI SS officers in so they can honour / applaud and do standing ovations for them,

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Gorps · 51-55, M

Immediately after the war I became acquainted with a Polish man who had escaped Siberian imprisonment; made it, on foot to 'the west', - India I think - and was now working on an RAF base. He told me stories from the early days of the war when many eastern Europeans couldn't decide which were their worst enemies or whose forces it was best to join. He said there were cases of brothers shooting at each other from opposing trenches. EIghty years on I don't think I have the detailed knowledge or broad wisdom to pass judgement on almost anyone from that time.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Gorps I have no trouble with people who fought for the other side in WWII. I have known several. However this guy was in the Waffen SS. That is a completely different level of being on the wrong side. The Waffen SS swore a special oath to Hitler and had his tattoo under their left armpit. I knew a fellow who was inducted into the German army in late 44. He refused to join the SS. He knew they were evil and he could not be a member.

Gorps · 51-55, M

@hippyjoe1955 I know what the SS were and it makes no difference to what I've said. We weren't there. We never know the people, their circumstances, their perceptions or - I believe - their real actions. We are unqualified to judge.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Gorps Yeah it makes a huge difference. A person who signs up to fight for the side of his choice is completely different to a man who fanatically supports his chosen side even though that side is slaughtering people of your own nation.

Gorps · 51-55, M

"During World War II, the Waffen-SS recruited significant numbers of non-Germans, both as volunteers and conscripts. In total some 500,000 non-Germans and ethnic Germans from outside Germany, mostly from German-occupied Europe, were recruited between 1940 and 1945. [1]" - WiKIpedia.

I've often wondered, how many combatants on either/any side in WW2 were volunteers (for ANY reason) rather than forcibly conscripted.

Gorps · 51-55, M

@hippyjoe1955

Yeah it makes a huge difference

Exactly.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Gorps A friend of mine (now passed on) was a German soldier. He was told he would be in the SS even though he was a conscript. He refused three times even at gun point. He has my respect. Not some guy who volunteered to join the SS.

Gorps · 51-55, M

@hippyjoe1955What an amazing coincidence!
Do you also know this "guy who volunteered to join the SS."?

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Gorps J No do you? I met Jake at a Mennonite Bible study. He was 16 when conscripted. He was told at gun point he would join the SS. He refused. When his company was taken captive by Canadians he decided to move to Canada. He went on to be a psychiatric nurse living a quiet life with his lovely wife Marie as they raised their two daughters. Oh and btw the fellow across the street from me came from Poland after the war. The family in the house just west of my house came from Holland, The people right behind her house came from Germany. Strangely enough the Dutch family and the German family didn't get along really well. Something about eating tulip bulbs..... We still have some tulips in our flowerbed from the dutch family. Maybe you live in a nice uniculture but I don't. I also know people who escaped Iran and Iraq as well as Lao, Ethiopia and Russia. You see I go to a church that welcomes and sponsors refugees. We did reach out to a couple from Kosovo but they decided they were better people if they stayed in Kosovo and helped rebuild it after Nato destroyed it. Maybe you should get out more.

Gorps · 51-55, M

@hippyjoe1955 Oh my god you're so wonderful. I didn't realize. So sorry!

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Gorps You are the one saying that being an SS nazi is a good thing so....