My Grandfathers Binoculars

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Feb 28, 2003
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Cajun Country, La.
I went to visit my dad in the nursing home this morning. It was a great visit. The sad thing is he's showing signs of Dementia. But his memory is still sharp, sort of.
I was asking him about my grandfather (my German moms dad) and where are all of the pictures my Uncle Jurgen sent to him? He said that my brother still has them. There are hundreds of pics my German grandfather had from when he was in the 2nd SS Division Panzer Das Reich. I called my brother and he stated he wasn't through going through them. I reminded him that he has had them for almost a year.
Anyway, my dad told me where I could find my German grandfather's binoculars at his house.
 

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What are the details on how your mom’s family ended up in the US after the war? Cool binoculars.
 
What are the details on how your mom’s family ended up in the US after the war? Cool binoculars.
My dad was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany (1959-1961). He met my mom over there and brought her back to the US when he was transferred to Ft. Hood in Texas. They were married there, and my older brother was born on the base. When he was discharged, they moved to N'awlins. My dad was originally from Avoyelles Parish.
The binoculars are very cool indeed. I wonder what sights my grandfather witnessed through them. I know of some, but I can't repeat it here.
 
Cool binocs. My grandfather brought back a pair of Zeiss German Kriegsmarine binoculars he took off an dead NCO right after the D-Day invasion. They belonged to a coastal flack artillery unit.
My father used them as a kid playing around and so did I. I broke the bakelite eyecups dropping them out of a tree house.
 
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My dad was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany (1959-1961). He met my mom over there and brought her back to the US when he was transferred to Ft. Hood in Texas. They were married there, and my older brother was born on the base. When he was discharged, they moved to N'awlins. My dad was originally from Avoyelles Parish.
The binoculars are very cool indeed. I wonder what sights my grandfather witnessed through them. I know of some, but I can't repeat it here.
I have always been interested in WW2 history, and those binoculars are a small piece of history, your family connection to them is interesting. Since your German Grandfather was in the SS, that unit in particular, I’m sure that he witnessed a lot of tragic sights through those, unfortunately at the hands of his unit.
Do you know whatever happened to your German Grandfather? Did he survive the war? If he did, was he put on trial for war crimes committed by the 2nd SS division Panzer Das Reich?
Please don’t take these questions as disrespectful to you, you can’t help the fact that your Grandfather was a Nazi, but like I said, I have always been interested in history, WW2 history in particular.
 
I have always been interested in WW2 history, and those binoculars are a small piece of history, your family connection to them is interesting. Since your German Grandfather was in the SS, that unit in particular, I’m sure that he witnessed a lot of tragic sights through those, unfortunately at the hands of his unit.
Do you know whatever happened to your German Grandfather? Did he survive the war? If he did, was he put on trial for war crimes committed by the 2nd SS division Panzer Das Reich?
Please don’t take these questions as disrespectful to you, you can’t help the fact that your Grandfather was a Nazi, but like I said, I have always been interested in history, WW2 history in particular.
Yes, he survived the war. He died at the age of 96 (1905-2001).
I don't know what charges he was brought up on because he NEVER wanted to talk about that subject. My mom was able to get him to talk about some of his past. When she would kind of push him to tell us things they would get into an argument, in German. He only wanted to talk about it when HE WANTED TO!
I am VERY PROUD of my grandfather. Him being an SS soldier doesn't bother me at all. He was just doing his job. In a way he's like a hero to me.
 
Yes, he survived the war. He died at the age of 96 (1905-2001).
I don't know what charges he was brought up on because he NEVER wanted to talk about that subject. My mom was able to get him to talk about some of his past. When she would kind of push him to tell us things they would get into an argument, in German. He only wanted to talk about it when HE WANTED TO!
I am VERY PROUD of my grandfather. Him being an SS soldier doesn't bother me at all. He was just doing his job. In a way he's like a hero to me.
I can understand why he wouldn’t want to talk about the things that I’m sure he witnessed. I’ve watched many documentaries about the War and find it interesting to hear the stories of all who were involved.
Again, I meant no disrespect by asking those questions, my interest in the subject probably made me ask questions that I shouldn’t have. 🍻
 
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