D Day

[Old Cruser]

The news is full of the 70th anniversary of the D Day Landings and honouring those who fought. The veterans still around are brilliant to have made the effort to go to this ceremony.

Whilst on holiday I was chatting to a German Lady who was nearly 70. She got very emotional about the war and asked me why couldn't people let it drop about what Germany did back then, she said she herself felt guilty and 'awful' about what happened but couldn't understand why some still held a grudge against her country.

Does anyone else think that although we should continue to remember and respect all who fought people should move on from that terrible time and respect the German Population for who they are now?

[Big Dave]

Does anyone else think that although we should continue to remember and respect all who fought people should move on from that terrible time and respect the German Population for who they are now?

All the while there are people alive who suffered due to the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime (and others) I feel it's reasonable and appropriate to acknowledge what they went through.

[Pete]

Agree with Dave. I think the sheer scale of the atrocities and the slaughter of 6 million Jews - and the subsequent liberation by the Allies and the losses there make this a difficult thing to forget just because some Germans feel uncomfortable about it.

[Old Cruser]

So are you saying that the current generation of Germans should be tard along with Hitler as in cruel 'Barstewards?

[Fly]

I wouldn't personally say that as much OC, but lets not brush it under the carpet. It's history, it's fact, it happened.
Let's hope it never happens again.

Respect for the fallen, regardless of nationality. I'm sure there were many Germans who didn't want war.

[Pete]

>> So are you saying that the current generation of Germans should be tard along with Hitler as in cruel 'Barstewards?

No.

Maybe she should go to one of the concentration camps and remind herself of what her countrymen did back in those dark days.

[Old Cruser]

I would agree about 'brushing it under the carpet' and it never should be forgotten as some terrible things happened.
Hitler is proably one of the most hated men to have lived in the world for he did - or ordered to be done.

What I can't understand is why some people still dislike the Germans for it - it was their ancestors who committed these crimes not them.

If our great grandfather was a murderer, should we be thought of as 'bad' as welll?

My answer to the lady was ' I doubt that while ever there are the older generation still around your current generation will  not be forgiven for what happened'
Quite rightly she answered - but I myself think it was wrong, why should I be tarred with what happened then?

My biggest gripes with the current German population is that they nick all the sunbeds!!

[Old Cruser]

>> So are you saying that the current generation of Germans should be tard along with Hitler as in cruel 'Barstewards?

No.

Maybe she should go to one of the concentration camps and remind herself of what her countrymen did back in those dark days.

She wasn't condoning what happened, in fact just the opposite, she was upset that she was being lumped with the people that did these things

[Pete]

Not sure what you're trying to say here.

Should we hate the German population for what their ancestors did? - No

Should we continue to honour the people who gave their lives in WW2? - Yes

Simple!

[Old Cruser]

Some people still bare a grudge against 'today's Germany and it's people' because of what happened during the war - is it right to feel this way.
Shouldn't their hate be directed at the people who did these things back then!

[Fly]

Some people still bare a grudge against 'today's Germany and it's people' because of what happened during the war - is it right to feel this way.

I think Pete answered that one.

Shouldn't their hate be directed at the people who did these things back then!

Yes, but most of them are deceased. Let's hope a new uprising never appears, as I think I said earlier :-)

[Old Cruser]

Apparently that isn't the case though Fly, not from what the German lady was saying anyway.

Then we have the 89 year old veteran who absconded from his nursing home to go on a coach trip to France with a 'younger veteran'

Off topic I know but hats off to him