freedom posted an update 2 years, 5 months ago
@rae Hiiii girl!! I was curious (and only share if you want to!), have you learned anything new about your great-grandfather that was possibly in the German military during WW2?
OH, and I’ve wanted to tell you…I recently learned that two of my great uncles were both in the US Army during WW2…they died long before I was born tho, but it’s still really cool!
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One, that is really cool!
Two, I actually have! I discovered a printed document written by my Great grandfather to my uncle and dad. And it is confirmed that he was a French POW and he was in the army. He mentioned very little about his war life, but the thing was only a couple pages. I have tried to look him up a couple more times online, but all I can find are dead ends and the obituary. Unfortunately, I have a feeling unless I can by some miracle meet the descendant of one of the Jews he supposedly saved (I have no idea they’re names, or even if it is actually fact. While my great grandfather was the type of man to do something like that and it makes sense, I only have the testimony of one relative to say so. Meaning, there is chance it is false, though I personally believe otherwise. My Grandma did too, so did my Dad, all people who knew him well.) I have zero chance of learning his full unsung story.
Oh! I also meant to share this story with you. My Grandma told it to me in one of our many talks, and it has stuck with me forever. I believe it was even the same weekend that we first heard about Great Grandfather helping Jews.
When my Grandpa and Grandma were engaged and soon to be married in just days, my Great Grandfather was on a trip to Germany. I believe he was visiting relatives still living there. Great Grandfather had never even met my Grandma before, but I guess my Great Grandmother told him about her through mail, since he already apparently knew a lot about her. Somehow, Great Grandfather managed to fly home from Germany on my Grandma’s birthday: May 28th. As she told me, when she first walked into the room to meet him for the first time, he told her “I always meet my children on their birthday.” Two days later, my grandparents were married.
When I have children, they will know three stories very well. The Adventures of Fox and Wolf (stories great great grandfather told my grandpa when he was a boy who in turn told me) The little bug that went Ka-choo (my fav Dr. Seuss as a kid) and finally this one.
Yesss, it was sooo cool to find out!! I’m planning on requesting military records from the National Archives (I’ve done it once before when researching someone else) at least for one of my Great Uncles.
It is possible (if the wound was actually related to combat and not just a “war story” he told😂) that one of my Great Uncles never received a purple heart for a hole in his leg. And if that IS the case, and if I could find records that the wound was related to combat and was treated by a doctor, it is possible that my family could request a purple heart, given that if the wound is from battle and is treated by a doctor, American soldiers are ENTITLED to a Purple Heart.
Also, first off, that story is the sweetest thing ever. I absolutely adore that🥰🥰
Ooh, new information is cool! Alright, so you know he became a POW and was in the Army. Yes, I know how hard it is to find records online for Americans…I can’t imagine how much harder it is to find records for Germans!
Have you tried looking at German archives?
And it’s so frustrating when all of the record websites want you to sign up and/or pay for it. Very frustrating indeed.
a lot of fun tho😂
that would be soooo cool if you did meet a descendant of someone he saved. I hope that happens for you. <3
Okay, that is triple cool! I hope you can find that out, cuz that would be awesome!!!!
I’ve tried finding German records, but I’ve been able to find anything. I’ve got a feeling they weren’t legit sites either. Plus, the Search Engines get confused with someone name Dr. Hans Eisele when I type in my Great grandfather’s name (Hans Ulrich Eisele) but I know for fact this person isn’t him cuz the pictures show a totally different person. Wikipedia seems to think I mean a Hans Eisele who was a footballer. Again, not my Great Grandfather. It’s like…the most frustrating thing!
Yessss, I’m really hoping I can figure it out too!
Yes, that sounds very difficult/frustrating😅 It’s also very difficult because many WW2 German military records have been destroyed, given that Germany was practically in rubbles by the time the war finally ended.
It’s definitely hard to find records like that bc of that.
Given, most high up military records were probably in Berlin, so they were either destroyed OR taken by the Soviets following the fall of Berlin in 1945.
I understand how frustrating that can be though.
It is interesting tho (and many Americans are, but you know XD) that both of us are descended from Germans.
My grandfather (Dad’s side) has something that talks about how his family on his mom’s side came to the USA from Germany in the 1700s before the USA was even founded!
Which is also really cool tbh😂
Another great Uncle of mine was in the Air Force for over 20 years. He was around for the Korean War and the Vietnam war…I don’t remember if he actually was in combat or not though. I do, however, have his nametag (his last name, my last name, the thing that would be on his uniform to show his name) and I think a picture of him at the Iwo Jima monument.
Anyway, I just find it cool that both of us know about and are trying to research our family history.
I didn’t mean “high up” (my brain💀)…what I meant was most military records were likely held in Berlin.
idk why I added the “high up” part. XD
So, I don’t remember if I told you this or not, but I found my great grandfather’s grave. He’s buried in Hartford, capital of Connecticut.
I also discovered you can request WWII records! I have to fill out some German forms, which is great cuz it looks like I can only fill out the German versions, not the English translations and I haven’t been able to learn German yet. So, I guess I have to do that. Trouble is, I do not have my parent’s support in this. They know I’m doing research (told them a couple times, don’t know if they got the message though. A lot been going on.) But they aren’t researching with me. Plus, I’ve expressed great interest in learning German before, and they didn’t really express negative feelings towards it, but neither did they express positive. In other words, unless something changes, I’m on my own with a German Bible, American high school grammar book and online.
Add that with the fact they can’t garentee that they’ll be able to find any records on him and that it could be a long time before I hear back once I send in the forms and they may decide not to approve me.
It’s a long shot, but I’d rather wait a decade to know than to never know. So…I guess here I go.