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    Two Shades of War
    Two Shades of War
    Two Shades of War
    Ebook69 pages1 hour

    Two Shades of War

    By Edward W. Weiss

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    About this ebook

    This is the true story of Edward Weiss who in 1938, at the young age of eleven, left the United States with his family to go to the aid of a Jewish relative in Germany. This was only to be a short trip, but they are forced to remain until the end of World War II. Follow Edward on his journey that begins as a boy trying to adjust to life in a foreign country. His journey takes him from being a non-German speaking American citizen to a soldier in Hitler's army, and years later returning to the U. S. to serve as an American soldier in the Korean War.


    A story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time puts Edward in danger many times over. You'll read about the sacrifices his parents had to make for the safety and well-being of Edward and his sisters - and the determination of a young boy doing what he must to survive.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateMay 31, 2009
    ISBN9781438981628
    Two Shades of War
    Author

    Edward W. Weiss

    Edward Weiss is a first time author with a story to tell. . . his story.  Many have written about their personal experiences during World War II, but none as gripping as Edward's interpretation.  With the encouragement of his family and friends, Edward recalls his early years both in America and abroad.  He is currently living in Burlington, Massachusetts with his wife Anne. His children and Grandchildren live close by.

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      Book preview

      Two Shades of War - Edward W. Weiss

      © 2009 Edward Weiss. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      First published by AuthorHouse 5/22/2009

      ISBN: 978-1-4389-8162-8 (ebk)

      ISBN: 978-1-4389-8161-1 (sc)

      Printed in the United States of America

      Bloomington, Indiana

      Contents

      Prologue

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Dedicated in memory

      to my mother and father, who sacrificed so much for us.

      Prologue

      I was born on December 9, 1927 in Meriden, Connecticut. I am the son of German parents, Theobald and Martha Weiss, who traveled to America from Germany in 1914. I have two sisters, Ophelia and Justina born in 1922 and 1929 respectively. Our family settled in Bridgeman, Michigan, where we resided until the mid 1930’s. Because unemployment was at an all time high, we had to relocate to where my Father could find work in St. Joseph, Michigan as an Electrical Design Engineer.

      Most of my parents’ relatives lived in Germany and in correspondence from them, they indicated that a new regime was beginning to take over to replace the Government in power. The name Adolf Hitler had become a daily news item. In 1937, we received word that my Father’s nephew and wife were in distress under the developing new party in Germany. The following year, our family left for a trip to Germany to help. It was to be a temporary stay not realizing the dangers that lie ahead.

      Chapter 1

      In 1938, our family sailed from America to Europe. When we arrived in Hamburg, Germany, we were greeted by my mother’s brother. He had made arrangements for our family to stay with various relatives. It was a long train ride from where the ship had docked to Duesseldorf, where we stayed at a hotel overnight. I can remember standing on the balcony that evening, looking down over the main street and seeing young boys marching and singing. I noticed that their uniforms had a strange symbol on the arm. I learned later this was called a swastika.

      Being only eleven years old, I was very impressed with the fanfare. It reminded me of the days I spent as a Boy Scout back in America. It all seemed so innocent at the time. Later that night, I caught site of the members of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) holding torchlight meetings on the street trying to recruit people. These men were known as the SA, or Brownshirts. Despite the danger he would have been in if he were overheard, my uncle warned my parents to keep us from watching.

      The following day we continued our trip to the Stuttgart area where we would spend the next six months. Because no one could accommodate all five of us, my mother, Justina and I stayed with an aunt in Boeblingen and my Father and Ophelia with another relative in Untertuerkheim. We were separated by about sixty miles and would only see each other once a month or less.

      I had completed school in America up to forth grade and a decision had to be made regarding our education. My father found work, which he needed to support the family in case of a longer then planned stay. After several months of our temporary living conditions, he managed to find an apartment in the eastern suburb of Stuttgart and our family of five was reunited. Being a major city with large industry and good schools, which were in short walking distance, this seemed a good choice. Most of our relatives lived in the city or nearby. It was somewhat difficult for me to start in the first grade of German public school at the age of eleven especially with the language barrier. I was rushed through the first three grades within one year. I can remember how during recess my much younger classmates would crowd around me and ask questions about America and sometimes chuckle at the way I was dressed which, by American standards at the time were Knickerbockers and hi-taps (boots which laced up to the knees).

      In 1939 my mother became ill with a female disorder and was hospitalized in need of surgery. This was a very difficult time for our family. The surgery that my mother would require would mean many months of recovery. During this time, my father tried to apply for an exit visa in case our mother would recover to the point where she could travel. But the borders were closing and it became apparent that we were faced with having to wait until we were allowed to leave.

      My father’s nephew had married a woman who was Jewish and by this time there was so much anti-Jewish propaganda and harassment, that it was impossible for them to leave the house. They resided in a city that was a two-hour train ride away from where we were living. My older sister would go to them routinely and bring them groceries. Unfortunately, this came to a halt when my father

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