I hope you guys all read what Joe posted here. If not, please do so now. I would like to add a personal note.
Last year, my wife and I adopted a small 6 year old boy called Benny. Sadly he will never sit at our diner table, nor will we ever tug him in his bed at night. Actually he died many years before we were born.
Benny lived next to my wife's grandparents in a little village in Drenthe. In all his life, he never experienced what it was to live without fear. He loved to visit his neighbors. If someone asked who he was, he always answered he was 'Benny Luth', their nephew, just to hide that his real name was Benjamin Denneboom, a son of the Jewish neighbors.
On one faithful morning, Benny had the day of his life. There was a bus waiting in front of his house and he was about to board it. Benny had never been in a motorized vehicle in all of his short life en now he was allowed to get a ride on the bus, a little happy adventure in a world full of fear. The neighbors saw him get on the bus together with all of his family. But soon reality set in. The bus delivered the family at camp Westerbork, where life was not much fun. Luckily within a week there was another great adventure. Benny was allowed to get on a train and make a great trip. He definitely never experienced that.
We don't know exactly what happened then. Benny might have starved on the train, or maybe he suffocated in the over-crowded train wagon or his little body was crushed under the pressure of too many human bodies. It's also possible that he survived the train and went with his family to the famous 'showers'. All we know is that his death along with that of his mom and siblings was registered on the day of arrival in Auswitz. His dad apparently lived on for a while, while his strength was used up for what ever goal his hosts saw fit. Then after much suffering he joined the rest of the family at wherever innocent people go who die an unfair and pointless death.
60 years later, Grandpa Luth would still fondly speak of little Benny who, for a short time pretended to be part of the family in a failed attempt to safe his life. Grandma would shed a tear over the cheerful little boy she once knew and would ask what it was all for.
Our 'adoption' is not an adoption as usual. Our adoption means that there is enough money to get Benny his own little spot on the Holocaust memorial, soon to be revealed in Amsterdam, so Benny will not be forgotten. It's all we can do for a small 6 year old who probably never understood what happened.
This last week saw someone on the forum post something what can be considered an attempt to diminish the evil done by NAZIs during WW2. Then another member accused the forum team of willingly turning a blind eye. I hope I make it clear here what this means to me and the team. This is a WW2 forum. There is no problem in the admiration of the achievements of the technicians or soldiers from any side in battle. But I speak for all the team that we will never tolerate admiration for, nor downplay of the crimes against humanity. I hope, with all your enthusiasm about history, your will also keep in mind this side of WW2.
Last year, my wife and I adopted a small 6 year old boy called Benny. Sadly he will never sit at our diner table, nor will we ever tug him in his bed at night. Actually he died many years before we were born.
Benny lived next to my wife's grandparents in a little village in Drenthe. In all his life, he never experienced what it was to live without fear. He loved to visit his neighbors. If someone asked who he was, he always answered he was 'Benny Luth', their nephew, just to hide that his real name was Benjamin Denneboom, a son of the Jewish neighbors.
On one faithful morning, Benny had the day of his life. There was a bus waiting in front of his house and he was about to board it. Benny had never been in a motorized vehicle in all of his short life en now he was allowed to get a ride on the bus, a little happy adventure in a world full of fear. The neighbors saw him get on the bus together with all of his family. But soon reality set in. The bus delivered the family at camp Westerbork, where life was not much fun. Luckily within a week there was another great adventure. Benny was allowed to get on a train and make a great trip. He definitely never experienced that.
We don't know exactly what happened then. Benny might have starved on the train, or maybe he suffocated in the over-crowded train wagon or his little body was crushed under the pressure of too many human bodies. It's also possible that he survived the train and went with his family to the famous 'showers'. All we know is that his death along with that of his mom and siblings was registered on the day of arrival in Auswitz. His dad apparently lived on for a while, while his strength was used up for what ever goal his hosts saw fit. Then after much suffering he joined the rest of the family at wherever innocent people go who die an unfair and pointless death.
60 years later, Grandpa Luth would still fondly speak of little Benny who, for a short time pretended to be part of the family in a failed attempt to safe his life. Grandma would shed a tear over the cheerful little boy she once knew and would ask what it was all for.
Our 'adoption' is not an adoption as usual. Our adoption means that there is enough money to get Benny his own little spot on the Holocaust memorial, soon to be revealed in Amsterdam, so Benny will not be forgotten. It's all we can do for a small 6 year old who probably never understood what happened.
This last week saw someone on the forum post something what can be considered an attempt to diminish the evil done by NAZIs during WW2. Then another member accused the forum team of willingly turning a blind eye. I hope I make it clear here what this means to me and the team. This is a WW2 forum. There is no problem in the admiration of the achievements of the technicians or soldiers from any side in battle. But I speak for all the team that we will never tolerate admiration for, nor downplay of the crimes against humanity. I hope, with all your enthusiasm about history, your will also keep in mind this side of WW2.
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