WWII DOCUMENTARIES ON DVD

[Dogdaddy]

Hi Marion,

Wow...that was fast! It took what...2 days? Anyway dear, you are quite welcome and I hope you enjoy it!.

 

[Walt's Daughter]

I just finished the film 5 minutes ago. This is what I wrote to my friend James Hennessey...

 

Sitting here trying to dry my eyes because I just got done watching a very

poignant story called My Knees Were Jumping. My buddy (another Jim), sent

me this DVD. It's recalls the Kindertransports from Europe to England. How touching. Touching isn't the word. I just finished viewing it 5 minutes ago, so it is very fresh within my skull.

 

It was a Sundance Film Festival selection. It was made my one of the daughters of a woman who was forced to leave her parents in Austria when she was very young. So hard to imagine leaving your parents. About 90 percent never saw their parents again. Many of them were gassed.

 

If you ever get the chance, I would highly recommend buying or watching it.

It's the kind of film that I think most people should watch once. Makes you

think...

 

----------------------------------

 

Dogdaddy, thank you so much. I can't tell you how much it affected me. A well done documentary. I don't know what it would be like to leave my parents at age 4, age 9, age 14. I know what it's like to lose a father when I was 12. I guess that is close, so I know the sense of loss. But I still can't imagine being forced to leave with the possibility of never being able to see them again.

 

So many kids went through this. Too many. I have to go do something else right now. Am getting wet eyes again.

[Dogdaddy]

Hello Marion,

Just when I think that I couldn't possibly hate nazis any more than I already do...I see something like this film that makes me realize it's still possible. I think most of us are even more deeply affected when we see children suffering loss and grief. I know I am. I believe these are the films that need to be seen by each generation. The Holocaust extended far beyond the millions who actually died in it.

 

Jim

[Walt's Daughter]

I believe these are the films that need to be seen by each generation.

 

Amen, amen, amen! In fact last night I wrote to my dear friends Russ Weiskircher and Kitty Jacobs. Russ is Vice-Chairman of the Georgia Holocaust Commission. Kitty also works with the Commission. Russ wrote back this morning that he is going to get a copy for the library. I told him I highly recommend it!

 

If you haven't read Russ' page, you should.

 

http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/Rus...Weiskircher.htm

 

Russ was one of the many soldiers who liberated the camps in Europe. It left an indelible impression on him. So much so that he dedicated part of his life to teaching others, especially our youngsters, all about the holocaust.

 

When we fly to Georgia in Feb or March, to see our kids, we plan on meeting with Russ and Kitty if God's willing, and meeting them. We also plan on touring the Anne Franke Exhibit there too.

 

I found myself getting angry last night too. Very angry. Wanted to shout out profanities at the screen. You awful, disgusting, sickening people! It's still blows my mind that it all occured. I often create a scenario in my head, something like the following when I am watching videos like this...

 

I am sitting here in the warmth and security of my house. The next thing I know someone if fiercely beating at our door. It's THEM. All of a sudden the tranquility and normalcy of my life is gone in an instant. How would I feel? I imagine them taking my store away from me and writing graffitti on my store windows. Can any of us imagine this? Your whole life would never be the same and oh God, the fear you would live under.

 

I think because I can try and put myself in their shoes, it makes me appreciate what I have even more. It also makes me angry with people around here who complain all the time. They don't know how good they have it. I'd love to grab the whiny so and so's and make them sit in front of movies like this for days at a time. I'd love to have them listen to real people who have lived through it, and then let them try and whine about their pathetic lives.

 

Well you can see I have very strong feeling about this...

 

I haven't told many people this, but I used to have nightmares about the Nazi's when I was young. I had one dream in particular that repeated itself over and over. God, I can still picture it in my head. I could probably draw it for you on paper still. I can remember how I felt as I ran through the dream. It was so real and so scary.

 

I'm sure it was the stories that my dad shared with me about the war in Europe. It was hard for me to believe how uncivilized the world could be. It affected him and hence it affected me. I know that the dreams were sometimes frightening, but I am glad he told them to me. It made me what I am today. It made me realize both sides of human nature. Most of it not a very pretty picture.

 

I have rambled on enough. I am going to put on a pot of coffee and thank God for my blessings this morning.

[chambers]

I think because I can try and put myself in their shoes, it makes me appreciate what I have even more. It also makes me angry with people around here who complain all the time. They don't know how good they have it. I'd love to grab the whiny so and so's and make them sit in front of movies like this for days at a time. I'd love to have them listen to real people who have lived through it, and then let them try and whine about their pathetic lives. 

Couldn't have said that better myself. I listen to people piss and moan all day at work about NOTHIING that is REALLY important!!

 

I have to add a funny little story for you, I was at a health fair sponsored by my health insurance carrier last summer in our memorial building which houses all kids of community activities like this. It's a big gymnasium aditorium place. Anyway, me and medical stuff DON'T mix. I passed out cold while getting my sugar tested, and in that "just coming back, don't remember what the heck happened, why am I on the floor and my arm hurting" place for a brief moment I thought we got bombed. I told my mom and she said, "Maybe you've been reading a little too much."

 

Brooke

[Dogdaddy]

Hey Folks "Word Up" Just saw today that Amazon.com has packaged the History Channel program 'The Color of War" set at just $34.99 beginning Feb. 28th. That is half-price compared to buying it directly from THC (like I did.. ) This is a set you really need to own if your main interest is the American fighting man in WWII. This set features one DVD devoted to Engineers, titled "Clearing The Way."

 

 

l Daddy

[Walt's Daughter]

ooo-oooo. Thank you for the "word-up"! I like that! I'll have to tell hubby about this one too. Hey, it can be a Valentine present. Who needs candy? It's makes ya fat.

[roque_riojas]

If anyone wants to know about war,(WWII), just read the book,

DOGFACES WHO SMILED THROUGH TEARS.

Written by one who was there. Including !st Bn 135th Inf.Regt.

[chambers]

Hey Jim, do you have "Love Me or Leave Me" ? It's a documentary about Jan Montyn, Dutch veteran of the Kreigsmarine and eventually the infantry. It was shown on television over in the Netherlands and I have been unable to find it.

 

Thanks,

Brooke

[Dogdaddy]

Hey Jim, do you have "Love Me or Leave Me" ?  It's a documentary about Jan Montyn, Dutch veteran of the Kreigsmarine and eventually the infantry.  It was shown on television over in the Netherlands and I have been unable to find it.

 

Thanks,

Brooke

Fraid not Brooke, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for it. Right now I'm anxiously awaiting delivery of "The Fall of Berlin", not the book...but the movie that was made in Russia in 1949, starring the Stalin Body-Double. His only role ever was playing Uncle Joe,,,,,,,Got Stress??? The Director of this film was chewing fingernails during the premeire too, as he knew that Stalin was watching and that was not the man to disappoint. Fortunately Stalin loved it, especially the ficticious scene where he supposedly lands in Berlin, all decked out in his white military uniform! His comments? ...."if only I'd really done it!"

As long as I'm writing a novel about this....for years this film was not allowed to be shown in the Soviet Union after Stalin was finally denounced by the old shoe banger himself...Krushev. Only recently it has been restored and formatted to DVD, so I am waiting while it's on backorder