You talking about your grandma reminds me about my mom's parents. I never really heard stories about WWII when I was growing up--they never even really talked to my mom and uncle about it. Now that Opa's gone though, I've gotten a few snippets here and there about her experiences. She was a child who recently buried her mother when the Nazis invaded her little country town. She's told me about when they would go marching down the street, looking for boys to put in the Hitler Youth, so they'd hide her little brother. I've heard about happy times like the joy of being able to pick their own apples from an orchard in their backyard or how potatoes are the best for frying when they're green, fresh from the ground, and the skin is so soft you just step on them and they slip right out. I got to see a picture once of a pair of British men that stayed in her house after Liberation and of an underground church wall that had been signed by the American, Canadian and British soldiers that were there that Christmas. I've even heard how she would go out into the fields, find unexploded shells, take them home and dissect them in her father's workshop. I wish I could have had more time with Opa to hear things from him, but he was sick near my entire memory of him and his English was much worse than it had been in previous years.
I probably told you all that last year too, but it's never a bad thing to reiterate for remembrance's sake. I always like reading these stories from you every year. They're not always happy, but they're still an interesting read, considering all my history classes that dealt with the World Wars never mentioned Canadians as more than a footnote (not surprising, since those classes were usually American history and not World/Americas History). That reminds me now about how my Oma has a television series on DVD involving a Canadian soldier/Dutch local romance after Liberation. I should probably ask to borrow it and the European DVD player one of these days, since I think there's English subtitles.
...and now I want to get out the WWII documentary book that smells of smoke. >>' Maybe one day when I can air it out.
Nehszriah
Hits Self With Axe (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 11/11/09 | Reply
@SomeGuy:
Right back at you, man.
Be true, be you and of course, be otaku.
SomeGuy
Canadian Liaison (Team) | Posted 11/11/09 | Reply
@Nehszriah:
Thanks, Nehs'. Truly.
Nehszriah
Hits Self With Axe (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 11/11/09 | Reply
You talking about your grandma reminds me about my mom's parents. I never really heard stories about WWII when I was growing up--they never even really talked to my mom and uncle about it. Now that Opa's gone though, I've gotten a few snippets here and there about her experiences. She was a child who recently buried her mother when the Nazis invaded her little country town. She's told me about when they would go marching down the street, looking for boys to put in the Hitler Youth, so they'd hide her little brother. I've heard about happy times like the joy of being able to pick their own apples from an orchard in their backyard or how potatoes are the best for frying when they're green, fresh from the ground, and the skin is so soft you just step on them and they slip right out. I got to see a picture once of a pair of British men that stayed in her house after Liberation and of an underground church wall that had been signed by the American, Canadian and British soldiers that were there that Christmas. I've even heard how she would go out into the fields, find unexploded shells, take them home and dissect them in her father's workshop. I wish I could have had more time with Opa to hear things from him, but he was sick near my entire memory of him and his English was much worse than it had been in previous years.
I probably told you all that last year too, but it's never a bad thing to reiterate for remembrance's sake. I always like reading these stories from you every year. They're not always happy, but they're still an interesting read, considering all my history classes that dealt with the World Wars never mentioned Canadians as more than a footnote (not surprising, since those classes were usually American history and not World/Americas History). That reminds me now about how my Oma has a television series on DVD involving a Canadian soldier/Dutch local romance after Liberation. I should probably ask to borrow it and the European DVD player one of these days, since I think there's English subtitles.
...and now I want to get out the WWII documentary book that smells of smoke. >>' Maybe one day when I can air it out.
Thanks for caring about this holiday.
Be true, be you and of course, be otaku.