"Teddy" Wisch - Commander LSSAH

[Jochen S.]

Markus, as Jupp assisted you with your book I do believe you will be interested in a more recent image of him, although it was shot almost 11 years ago. Jupp Steinbüchel at left, Frau Steinbüchel, Helmut Merscher (SS AA1) and another vet. of KG Peiper, Alfons Spross, who is no longer with us. Picture taken at Stavelot in Sept. 2001 during a small gettogether.

[markus]

Many thanks for sharing this picture Mike and bringing me into contact
with Jupp in the first place. A valuable addition to the book and a pleasant
experience for me to correspond with him.

That is obviously one of the reasons you are mentioned in the acknowledgments
of my book..!

Your friend,
Markus

[markus]

Letter of appreciation from Rudolf von Ribbentrop

Today I was very fortunate to receive the following letter from former Hauptsturmführer and Ritterkreuzträger Rudolf von Ribbentrop regading the Wisch biography:

QTE

June 25, 2012
<O</O
<O</O

Dear comrade Lippl,<O</O

Thank you very much for sending me the biography of our former commander "Teddy" Wisch.

<O</O
He was of course known to me although I had little to do with him directly since I was transferred to the “Hitlerjugend” Division in the summer of 1943.<O</O

Of course, many memories have been reawakened by your book. In a few days on July 12, the famous tank battle of Prochorowka will have its anniversary and will trigger feelings of gratitude once again to have survived this battle alive.

<O</O
Your successful biography will trigger the same feeling in many comrades.<O</O

Once again I thank you very much for sending me the biography and I wish you personally all the best conceivable.<O</O
<O</O


(written by hand...)<O</O


In closeness,<O</O
<O</O


Yours,<O</O
<O</O


Rudolf von Ribbentrop<O</O

UNQTE

[Jochen S.]

Markus! Super! Again a veteran who shows his appreciation for your work!

Attached you will find a signed pic. , received from RvR, showing his tankcrew of Pz. 605 and himself after he received his RK. The date is 15 July 1943. To the left you will see his trusted driver Walter S. with whom I have been in contact for many years. Two weeks ago RvR sent me his book about his father. His driver is also mentioned in it.




Again, well done my friend.

Mike

[markus]

A new batch of books arrived today. Feel free to contact me if you like to order a signed copy for your library.

Cheers,
Markus

[markus]

A new batch of books arrived today. Feel free to contact me if you like to order a signed copy for your library.

Cheers,
Markus

Amazon are temporarily sold out mates! I've still got a few to send out...

[Gran Sasso]

Amazon are temporarily sold out mates! I've still got a few to send out...

Send me one!

[markus]

Golden HIAG Badge awarded

I want to share with you all that the HIAG Landesverband Hamburg e.V. (Veteranenverband Hamburg)
has awarded the “Goldene HIAG-Ehrennadel” (Golden HIAG Badge ) to me on July 15, 2012 in recognition
of my efforts of writing the “Theodor Wisch” biography.  

I feel very honored and my thanks go to Mark C. Yerger, the only American to ever have been awarded
this high award, but many years earlier on a federal level by senior HIAG members. 

Last, not least, my thanks also to all my other friends to have helped make this book. 

Markus

[WEISNER]

Congrats to you Markus! You should be proud and please do post a photo of the award for us to see!

Great Job!

Kevin

[markus]

Hi Kev,

My pleasure.

Pls understand though, that I had to neutralize the doc a little bit before posting it in public. My friends Jaime and Mark C. Yerger have a scan of the original.

I received two needles. One to keep with the certificate and one to wear on a suit, etc.

Cheers,
Markus

[markus]

Letterhead design of the letter I got the certificate and needles with.

Markus

[markus]

Just found these on a memory chip last night:

A couple of shots from when the first copies of my book arrived and had a first glance on how it turned out.

Needless to say my wife and I enjoyed a nice, chilled bottle of "Moët & Chandon" and a movie together in our home-theatre that night (excuse the Japanese take-out packages in one of the shots...)

[markus]

The other two...

[WEISNER]

Hi Kev,

My pleasure.

Pls understand though, that I had to neutralize the doc a little bit before posting it in public. My friends Jaime and Mark C. Yerger have a scan of the original.

I received two needles. One to keep with the certificate and one to wear on a suit, etc.

Cheers,
Markus

Wonderful Markus, What an honor! totally understandable as to your..."I had to neutralize the doc a little" as there are some that don't understand out there sadly.

Kevin

[markus]

Hans Bernhard

Many thanks Kevin! - Yes, I feel deeply honored by this award.

What moved me even more today, was the letter of the daughter of former HStuf. Hans Bernhard.

Hans was the "Leibstandarte" Ic, temporary Ia and later O1.

Most importantly he was my very good personal friend who assistent me incredibly in the making of the Wisch biography with his experiences and in-depth personal insight into the LAH and their commanders!

Unfortunately, Hans passed in 2010 and was not able to see the finished book anymore.

I therefore sent his daughter a copy of my book, especially since her father had written the foreword. Additionally I though she would like to read her father's report on how he personally rescued Theo Wisch from the battlefield and my short biography of her father's military career.

For weeks there was no reply from her....I started to seriously worry.

Was she offened about me including her father in this WW-2 "SS" book, which in Germany is still a somewhat very negative topic? She had sent me her father's TK ring (he wore it each day until his death) right after his passing though, saying her father would have wanted it this way...

Then finally today, her letter reached me and even though I do not want to disclose all the private lines, I was moved to read that when she read the acknowlegment part of my book where her father is mentioned, she started to cry and she continued that the whole family still misses him a lot.

Hans was a very special man. Even my Mexican wife still talks a lot about our visit to his home 2 months prior to his passing. A very well-educated man with a detailed eye for life and a good sense for poetry.

His daugther sent me all of her fathers military photos, etc. as an appreciation and asked me for another copy of my book for her daugther!

Hans's eldest granddaughter had been very fond of him and had listened to her Opa's stories many, many times. The Wisch-Bio would have a special place in her heart for the special presence of her grandfather in my book. Needless to say that I'm mailing out the requested copy tomorrow.

It's letters like this one, confirming that you have reached someone with your writing, that are so eternally rewarding.

...thought I'd share this with you my friends.

Markus