• Moderator

    Today 63 Years ago, the tragedy at Malmedy, Belgium occurred. All 84 of them are not forgotten.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malmedy_massacre

    GG


  • A very moving article.
    War is not an excuse for unnecissary murder of men, women, and children that pose no immediate threat.
    War is certainly a risk for everyone, but utter barbarianism against defensless people is unexcusable!
    I feel the guilty persons should have been hanged right after their sentencing.
    I’m an old Texan, I say; get a rope and find a tall tree. And then despense justice post haste.

  • '19 Moderator

    @Crazy:

    I’m an old Texan, I say; get a rope and find a tall tree. And then despense justice post haste.

    Come on now, if you were an old Texan you’d say “get a rope” and every one would know the rest :wink:


  • The SS at the time hated any American, armed or not, man or child. Don’t get mad, but if I were raised the way they were, hated the Americans the way they did, and was the SS type of person, I would’ve shot them too.

    It’s realy a sad story though.  :cry:


  • :x
    Gewahr’
    I lived in Germany for three years back in the late 60s. And I can tell you that neither I nor anyone else I knew there ever experienced anything but love and respect from the german people.
      This is the first that I have heard about germans being prejudiced against all Americans. Certainly the Jews, and perhaps even the Black Americans, (of which the artillary crews who were massacured were all black US Army).
    Now I am of the belief that these SS troops served on the Eastern front where far worse and larger scale atrocities were committed by SS units. Perhaps they were just conducting business as usual.
    In any event, They should have recieved what they dished out for surrendering, and not fighting to the death as they swore in their oaths.


  • I know, but they didn’t, it was the SS! They who commited the crimes at Malmendy had to of hated the Americans to do such a horrible act. And yes, they probly did do much much worse crimes to the Soviets, as they hated them the most, thats why any SS were shot on site in any situation. Under Nazi rule, they were tought that they were dominate, and the Americans, jews, commies, ect. were all trying to take the world for themselves, and should die for it, they were the evil ones in there eyes, and thats what most of them belived too. Escpecialy towards the end of the war when the wehrmatch was full of youth, not experienced enough to know anybetter and raised and were dedicated to their fuhers ways.

    Also, I never said I hated the Germans for what they did, infact I myself am a proud German, my great grandmother came to america 2 months before WWI, sencing the inamate. I love Germany and it’s people, it’s just that we did some unthinkable acts in our days and followed the wrong party, but all is forgivin and forgoten.  :-D

  • Moderator

    I believe that the cause given was not hatred, but a lack of time. The men of the 285th Observers were captured on Day 2 of the Ardennes Offensive, and critical time “had” to be made on the drive to the Meuse, so instead of wait to transfer them back to Rear Units, they were mercilessly shot. Nonetheless it has been taken that way, and subsequently led to the possible massacre at Chenogne…

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenogne_massacre

    GG


  • :x
      The Geneva convention forbids the killing of prisoners and unarmed civiians. Germany was a signer of the convention. Japan was not.
      IMHO, German troops that defied these accords should have recieved the full measure of the law. **Period **I am a veteran of war, and until you stand in the midst of a mass slaughter, as I have, You cannot begin to understand how revolting such a crime that is. It is totally preventable by having people in charge that have a speck of human decency in them.

    As for me, I take each individual on their own merits. I do not hold a nation responsible for what some of their citizens have done.
    I too am from German stock. I’ve lived there 3 years and had many childhood friends and fond memories.
    But the victims of the ultmate betrayal, murder of the defenseless, cry out still for Justice. That is all they have left to recieve, in this world, or the next.

    :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

    Just a few of the tears shed by their families and friends.

    I pray for “Peace and Good Will” to all in this Season of Joy****


  • Thats alot of sad faces you got there Ivan  :cry:  :cry:

    War is as a part of nature as nature is apart of itself, world peace is an impossiblity that will never happen. There will always be someone hating someone else, always some native tribe at war over another, always people trying to rip at eachother’s throats over land, religion, and/or revenge at any one point in time, even when one war ends, another somewere, even if not recognized or very large, will begin.

  • Moderator

    Ivan,
        I wasn’t supporting there actions, it was hideous. Anyone that shoots an unarmed person who is not tried for a crime is deserving of the severest of consequences… My prayer is that incidents like that which happened at Malmedy are erased from our world forever.

    GG


  • Gw, as you point out, real War is inevitable. And I hope in you heart, undesirable. For the pain and loss and suffering of its’ victims is terrible.
    GG, thanks for your Prayers, I know that the power of prayer is great, and that the more people who do so, the better a world we will have to live in.
      May you both have a wonderful Holiday and a Merry Christmas!


  • @Crazy:

    Gw, as you point out, real War is inevitable. And I hope in you heart, undesirable. For the pain and loss and suffering of its’ victims is terrible.

    May you both have a wonderful Holiday and a Merry Christmas!

    I definatly do, I fell more to honor thier bravery and sacrifice then I do to have “pain” for them. But yes, their sacrifices, the things they did, right or wrong, will never be forgoten in my eyes.

    Why did you stress the Christ in Christmas?

  • 2007 AAR League

    'cause Christ rules!  :lol:  8-)


  • lol!! Ever notice it’s pronounced christmass….not christ…mass

    New Year is almost here!! anly a few days left of 2007, so many memorys so many…not realy.  :-(


  • :-)
    Lest some forget that He is the reason for the celebration.
      Too many people think that it is about Santa Claus, and giving presents, and eating feasts in front of the TV watching some football game.

  • Moderator

    Well Said Ivan. I do pray for an end to all of it, even though I know it is close to impossible in this world. I hope you had a Merry Christmas too!

    GG

  • '19 Moderator

    @Crazy:

    :-)
    Lest some forget that He is the reason for the celebration.
      Too many people think that it is about Santa Claus, and giving presents, and eating feasts in front of the TV watching some football game.

    LOL, I don’t forget, I just don’t care.  Besides, Santa is Cooler than Jesus, Jesus cuts my grass.


  • Were did santa clause come from? I know it started with a turkish man named St. Nickolas…but…santa!?

  • Moderator

    Santa Claus was a joint country invention, coming from mainly Germanic and Dutch influences, but he first appeared in the US in the early 1800’s.

    GG

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    An interesting fact about the Malemdy Massacre, is that it back fired on the Germans.

    Survivors were able to relay messages that the Germans were executing prisoners,  This changed the American demeanour and spirit from one of “defeat/surrender/retreat” to one of “if you’re going to die, die standing up”.

    In any war, you don’t want to put your opponents back to the wall, his life at risk.  You want him to surrender, and take the “easy” path, where he can go on being worriless and cared for in a POW camp, that has far better luxuries then he is currently accomodated with.

    I mean, why do you think Saddam could never really get his troops to fight Americans on a large scale in Iraq? In either Gulf War?  Because American POW treatment is the BEST!

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