Excavating the Anonymous Dead of World War II
Published by Joel May 3rd, 2007 in Fighting, Great Men. Share This
Erwin Kowalke, a member of the German War Graves Association, excavates the remains of soldiers who died during World War II. To this point he has collected and cataloged the remains of over 20,000 soldiers.
“People tell me to just let the bones sleep in the woods,” said Kowalke, a member of the German War Graves Assn. who has been searching for skeletons for 43 years. “But I say to them that no matter what this generation did, without them you wouldn’t be here.“In these bones you see what war is like. I know war now. I’ll tell you what it is. War is young men killing other young men they do not know on the orders of old men who know one another too well.”
Kowalke’s father died in the war somewhere in Germany. In a very real sense, he is doing this for his father.
The LA Times has a haunting two-pager about Kowalke’s work, guaranteed to give goosebumps.
Bonedigger [LAtimes]
While I applaud Mr. Kowalke’s efforts (and his blunt assessment of war), is anyone else tired of the continual WW2 back patting of the so-called “greatest generation”? Seems particularly bad among those that “never saw a battlefield before the bodies were buried” as my field medic Grandfather says.
Raul - I think it’s unfortunate that a few back-patters have commercialized it. Most of the WWII vets I’ve known in my life don’t actually talk about it at all. Similarly with Vietnam and Korea. It has made me extremely suspicious about people who talk about it as though it made them somehow better; because I think it doesn’t. It definitely takes something from you - and if it didn’t, you possibly never had it to begin with.
Exactly Nate. The VFW events I have attended (lots of vets in the family) have usually had two distinct groups of vets: those that actually fought and are more interested in helping the community than sitting around telling war stories and those that “would have had to invade Japan if we hadn’t dropped the bomb” who would rather tell stories. I suppose you’re right, it is the later that are the real offenders.
I was really surprised when all the vets in my family told me not to join up when I was considering it.
for real. my grandpa went through horrible things during that war, and was never able to talk about it. he tried a couple of times, but was never able to get through it. he was going to get a tape recorder and try to do it bit by bit, but never got the chance.
The article is worth reading for this quote alone:
“I know war now. … War is young men killing other young men they do not know on the orders of old men who know one another too well.”
my grandfather served in vietnam and as i’ve always wanted to ask him about it, i am strictly forbidden on punishment of death by my father.
the only person i’ve ever known that is comfortable telling stories of killing in battle is my brother after his tour in iraq.
i guess a lifetime of doom duke and counterstrike really does desensitize you.
I partially agree with your judgement. Many times it is the people who were not there… Many of those who are branded the greatest generation are in those fields and they are those bones.
I have been to the Middle East, the Balkans, Africa and back a bit. I “joined up” and retired… My choice, not the vets in my family.
Sounds like you are the one who would have invaded Japan in my generation, brother.
“”I was really surprised when all the vets in my family told me not to join up when I was considering it.”"
MN