Stories from WW2

[Jet]

Raoul Wallenberg
Righteous Among the Nations

To me there's no other choice.
I've accepted this assignment and I could never return
to Stockholm without the knowledge that I'd done everything in human
power to save as many Jews as possible. — Raoul Wallenberg

Being a history buff, I used to watch The History Channel religiously until I noticed that they seemed to air documentaries and footage of Hitler constantly. Finally, I wrote an email to their programming department asking why they felt it necessary to to glorify Adolph Hitler by giving that madman so much air time and very little air time to heroes of the Holocaust, or other topics on WWII for that matter. I wanted to know why they were absorbed with footage of atrocities, and if they were aware that incredible heroism did take place to save thousands of victims of the Holocaust. And then, having the temper and mouth that I have, I wanted to know what neo-Nazi on their staff was making programming decisions in favor of airing Hitler, who wasn't anything to look at anyway. I was hot under the collar because their programming was so tilted and I wanted a more fair and wider range of programming subjects regarding WWII. The gutless wonders never wrote back.

That said, I'd like to post some information about an incredible man named Raoul Wallenberg and links to the Wallenberg foundation and Yad Vashem. Wallenberg is credited for saving 30,000 Hungarian Jews, but it's more around the figure of 100,000, and he considered one of the foremost heroes of WWII.


Raoul Wallenberg (August 4, 1912 – July 17, 1947?) was a Swedish humanitarian who worked in Budapest, Hungary, during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. Between July and December 1944, he issued protective passports and housed Jews, saving tens of thousands of Jewish lives.

On January 17, 1945, he was arrested in Budapest by the Soviets after they wrested control of the city from the Germans, and was reported to have died in March. The exact circumstances of his death have long been in dispute. In 1957, the Soviets claimed that Wallenberg had actually died of a heart attack in 1947 at the age of 35. There had been reports, however, from prisoners in the same facility, that he was seen alive long past 1947. In 1991, Vyacheslav Nikonov was assigned by the Russian government to find out the truth; he concluded that Wallenberg did indeed die in 1947, executed while a prisoner at Lubyanka.[6] Associated Press reported in April 2010, that newly discovered evidence shows "with great likelihood" that Wallenberg was alive after the date the Soviets claimed he died.

Protective passport made by Wallenberg

Wallenberg has been honored numerous times. He is an honorary citizen of the United States, Canada, Hungary and Israel. Israel has also designated Wallenberg one of the Righteous among the Nations. Monuments have been dedicated to him, and streets have been named after him throughout the world. A Raoul Wallenberg Committee of the United States was created in 1981 to "perpetuate the humanitarian ideals and the nonviolent courage of Raoul Wallenberg" and gives out the Raoul Wallenberg Award to that end.

For more facts on Raoul Wallenberg, please visit:


The Raoul Wallenberg International Foundation
http://www.raoulwallenberg.net/?en/w...graphy.611.htm

Raoul Wallenberg Honored as Righteous Among the Nations, Yad Vashem
http://www1.yadvashem.org/righteous_...allenberg.html

[NJFemmie]

The best-kept secret in the U.S. about the Holocaust is that Poland lost six million citizens or about one-fifth of its population: three million of the dead were Polish Christians, predominantly Catholic, and the other three million were Polish Jews. The second best-kept secret of the Holocaust is the greatest number of Gentile rescuers of Jews were Poles, despite the fact that only in Poland were people (and their loved ones) immediately executed if caught trying to save Jews. The Yad Vashem museum in Israel honors "the Righteous Among the Nations" and Poland ranks first among 40 nations with 5,503 men and women, almost one-third of the total, honored for their "compassion, courage and morality" and who "risked their lives to save the lives of Jews."

Why the Polish Holocaust is rarely recognized by American media and wire services or mentioned in Holocaust literature has baffled Polish Americans and Poles, especially since so many books and articles have been published about the Holocaust.

The historical record clearly indicates that Hitler had a specific master plan for Poles, whom he hated almost as much as he hated Jews. Poles were regarded as Untermenschen or subhumans and their land was slated to provide Germany with Lebensraum (living space). Before the Nazis invaded Poland, Hitler announced, “The destruction of Poland is our primary task.” He also commanded, “Kill without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of Polish descent or language. Only in this way can we obtain the living space we need.” Hitler’s head of secret police, Heinrich Himmler, promised that “all Poles will disappear from the world.”

In the early years, most prisoners at Auschwitz were Poles, not Jews. Of the first 611 people who died at Auschwitz, 591 were Poles and 20 were Jews.

[pajama]

Excellent thread.

I was a late-in-life baby. My Dad was 53 when I was born. He was 93 when he died in 2007 and is buried at Arlington.

He talked alot about WWII and all his friends. He actually started as a calvaryman. He shared many funny stories about trying to learn to ride and shoot at the same time. Including once shooting his horse in the ear because he (Dad not the horse) was out of sinc. "Ruined a good horse" he always said.

He later helped form the 1st Armored Division. He was on the European front, never in the Pacific. He rode into Italy (forget town) while Mussolini was still hanging. And was stranded in the desert with a broken down tank while Romell rolled by a hill away.

Thanks for this thread. Makes me even more proud about our families and how they contributed to our freedom.

A

[cinderella]

Sadly, a very often forgotton fact...as bad as our country has been/can be at times - we are not perfect - it is still the only place I want to call 'home'.

We have so much we take for granted in our everyday lives. We, us Americans, for the most part, are a very lucky nation indeed.
Flag waver? Perhaps. But I am proud to be an American, and wouldn't have it any other way.

Originally Posted by pajara2

Makes me even more proud about our families and how they contributed to our freedom.

A

[Bad_boi]

WWII history was probably my favorite topic in history class. I have a few uncles who fought in WWII and so its very interesting to hear about what it was like. I also know all the weapons and tanks by name and what country they are from. (and that was before I played call of duty lol)

[WingsOnFire]

bumping for Daddy..

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