“And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” (Revelation 14:20)
Did anybody see “Greater Boston” on WGBH channel 2 on Monday night, September 24? There were (as there usually are) three short interviews. The one I want to concentrate on is the third. In honor of Ken Burns’ PBS World War 2 documentary that’s currently running, “Greater Boston” host Emily Rooney had 2 World War 2 vets on as guests.
I don’t want anybody to misunderstand what I’m about to say. I agree with Tom Brokaw that the World War 2 generation is “The Greatest Generation”. Both of my parents were members of that generation. I am proud of the World War 2 vets. But interviewing guys over 80...well, you can kind of be asking for trouble. One vet was a Japanese-American and one was an Anglo Caucasian. I think Greater Boston’s first mistake was giving them only ten minutes or so to be interviewed. Guys who are over 80 and who fought in the Second World War just can’t “tell their story” as it were in five or ten minutes. The Japanese-American actually did a pretty good job and was the more interesting of the two. He had been part of a volunteer force who went to Japan immediately after the war. His family had been placed in an internment camp and he had worked on an Idaho farm during much of the war. The Caucasian guy wanted to get into all sorts of nit-picking (Emily Rooney’s term!) about his “unit” and about minute details regarding his service.
The reason I’m writing this piece is I wonder if anybody who saw the interview was as shocked as I was. Now, don’t get me wrong. I realize war is war. People get shot and killed. Horrible things happen. I know many of our vets saw and experienced horrible things. I know many of them killed many of the enemy. It was kill or be killed. Usually the World War 2 vets don’t get into the gory details. Most just kind of keep strong and silent. That’s why I was blown away when the Anglo Caucasian octogenarian (as matter-of-factly as if he was talking about going to the Stop & Shop for a gallon of milk) said the following:
“My unit went into Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. We encountered several female S.S. guards. I told them, ‘Take off your clothes.’One said, ‘No.’ that was the last thing she ever said. The others took off their clothes. We said, ‘Lets hang ‘em’ and we did. Then we shot ‘em in the head. Then there was a perfect spot right there with smooth, soft dirt, so we buried ‘em.”
Again, he said that as casually as I’d say, “The right directional signal on my Volkswagen isn’t working.”
The details were SO graphic and SO unexpected that I erupted in nervous laughter. I was actually laughing so hard I was almost crying. My son was laughing too. I know the topic of female S.S. guards stripping naked, being hanged, then being shot in the head and buried is not really something funny, but the casual way he said it...well, please don’t be mad at me, but it WAS funny!
Emily Rooney seemed shocked and embarrassed and like she wished she hadn’t had these vets on the program.
Well, I just had to share that. If you didn’t like my comments, please don’t get any ideas about hangings or shootings. Just let me know politely!
Did anybody see “Greater Boston” on WGBH channel 2 on Monday night, September 24? There were (as there usually are) three short interviews. The one I want to concentrate on is the third. In honor of Ken Burns’ PBS World War 2 documentary that’s currently running, “Greater Boston” host Emily Rooney had 2 World War 2 vets on as guests.
I don’t want anybody to misunderstand what I’m about to say. I agree with Tom Brokaw that the World War 2 generation is “The Greatest Generation”. Both of my parents were members of that generation. I am proud of the World War 2 vets. But interviewing guys over 80...well, you can kind of be asking for trouble. One vet was a Japanese-American and one was an Anglo Caucasian. I think Greater Boston’s first mistake was giving them only ten minutes or so to be interviewed. Guys who are over 80 and who fought in the Second World War just can’t “tell their story” as it were in five or ten minutes. The Japanese-American actually did a pretty good job and was the more interesting of the two. He had been part of a volunteer force who went to Japan immediately after the war. His family had been placed in an internment camp and he had worked on an Idaho farm during much of the war. The Caucasian guy wanted to get into all sorts of nit-picking (Emily Rooney’s term!) about his “unit” and about minute details regarding his service.
The reason I’m writing this piece is I wonder if anybody who saw the interview was as shocked as I was. Now, don’t get me wrong. I realize war is war. People get shot and killed. Horrible things happen. I know many of our vets saw and experienced horrible things. I know many of them killed many of the enemy. It was kill or be killed. Usually the World War 2 vets don’t get into the gory details. Most just kind of keep strong and silent. That’s why I was blown away when the Anglo Caucasian octogenarian (as matter-of-factly as if he was talking about going to the Stop & Shop for a gallon of milk) said the following:
“My unit went into Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. We encountered several female S.S. guards. I told them, ‘Take off your clothes.’One said, ‘No.’ that was the last thing she ever said. The others took off their clothes. We said, ‘Lets hang ‘em’ and we did. Then we shot ‘em in the head. Then there was a perfect spot right there with smooth, soft dirt, so we buried ‘em.”
Again, he said that as casually as I’d say, “The right directional signal on my Volkswagen isn’t working.”
The details were SO graphic and SO unexpected that I erupted in nervous laughter. I was actually laughing so hard I was almost crying. My son was laughing too. I know the topic of female S.S. guards stripping naked, being hanged, then being shot in the head and buried is not really something funny, but the casual way he said it...well, please don’t be mad at me, but it WAS funny!
Emily Rooney seemed shocked and embarrassed and like she wished she hadn’t had these vets on the program.
Well, I just had to share that. If you didn’t like my comments, please don’t get any ideas about hangings or shootings. Just let me know politely!
1 comment:
that would be awkward to hear.... i realize in war you gotta shoot the other guys, but was it really necessary to make them be naked just to hang them and then kill them again and then bury them??? I would've been a bit embarassed about an incident like that... sheesh... glad I'm not emily rooney
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