4394
A
white haired, elderly lady sat in her rocking chair by the fire, and reminisced
about the most poignant of experiences. While she possessed an obvious German
accent, her English was, nonetheless, impeccable.
While
I cannot hope to recount her testimony as well as she expressed herself on the
film segment, I will attempt to paraphrase her story here.
“We
had endured years of warfare and deprivation. We made do with the most meager
of rations. We existed with the barest of earthly essentials. We often went
without food, and my mother, more so than her children. As I reflect on it now,
she oft times went without meat and bread, so that each of her children would
have at least a scrap or two.
“In
spite of all we’d endured, we didn’t think of the Americans as our enemies, but
rather our opponents. For you see, we knew what we had. We knew what Hitler and
his cronies were about. We knew whom we had served for too long. And we were so
tired and ready for peace.
“Well,
as the American tanks lumbered in, and the sound of their treads echoed in our
streets, we ran out of our houses with sticks in our hands, and with white rags
knotted about the tops. And while both we and our parents were afraid for what
might come next, our sense of apprehension was stilled by the smiles of the men
who came flooding out of the turrets of those tanks, and who marched behind
them. And oh, how kind they were to us, as they stooped to pick us up, and they
brushed the fear from our eyes.
“Of
course, in spite of the American troops’ initial behavior, my mother expressed
some reservations and warned me to be careful. However, she had often told me
that you could always tell what someone was about by looking into their eyes;
and I was determined to put her philosophy to the test.
“I
remember one man. One very special man. A Negro sergeant.
“Unlike
the German soldiers, he let me climb up on his military vehicle. And I will
never forget the first day I met him. For as I climbed up on the American Jeep,
I immediately looked into his eyes. And oh, such kindness shone out of them!
And I remember Sergeant William hung a bag of rations around my neck, and waved
for me to take it home with me!
“And
I have often thought that he went without some of his daily provisions so that
my family and I might have a few morsels of chocolate, and bread and canned
meat. And as long as the kindly sergeant was still in the area, I would seek
him out, and he would give me chocolate and other goodies to take home with me.
“I
will NEVER forget that wonderful American soldier; the first black man I’d ever
seen. And I will NEVER forget what an ambassador he was of the occupation his
country exercised over us after the war. No doubt, he has gone on to his reward
by now, but he will always be my mentor and role model. Always. Always.
“I
am old now, but I have never ceased to remember that good man and his kindness
to me. And I have ALWAYS vowed to do as he did; to love people and to give my
heart and provisions to those in need, and them whom God has set in my
pathway.”
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