Theo,
Thank you. I did not know that about Steven Spielberg and HBO. That makes me happy to know. I know I watch "Band of Brothers", "Schindler's List", and "Saving Private Ryan" with vets repeatedly. They will see a scene and then go talking for hours at a time about certain things they encountered in Germany, Poland, or where they were.
The one remark they all agree on about the movie "Saving Private Ryan" is that the first 10 minutes of the invasion was only Hollywood's version of what it was really like. They all say if you intensify it by 500 times that much, then that is what it was really like. The boats ran aground, tanks never made it to shore during the fighting, and the poor men. Men were just stacked on top of each other, either they were shot or drowned. The one thing I find interesting is that back then there were alot of soldiers who didn't know how to swim. Now it is a requirement.
If you ever get a chance to come to the East Coast, I would love to take you to the WW2 monument, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and Arlington Nat'l Cemetary. All are just breathtaking. And to watch the soldiers march at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is sobering. The detail of their march, and the changing of the guard. Unbelieveable. It makes one proud to be American.
One of the things I would like to do, in the Jewish faith it is customary to place a stone at the grave of a family member or friend or relative. I want to place a stone on Mr. Schlinder's grave. It would be such a privilage and honor to do so.
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