Knights Cross Recipients Who Are Still Living

[macmoeller]

To contact the veterans, I have researched for days, weeks, months.
It costs a lot of time and money.
I made many visits in Germany, hundreds of miles.
It can take several contacts to get confidence.
And many come, like you, and request many addresses as if you go to the supermarket.
You do not even take the time to look in the phone book and you treat us to selfish.

Anyway, it's much too late to begin contacting veterans.
That time is over.
Many no longer want contact, they want to live in peace now!

dear mr ardennes
distrust is a fundamental property of the people, therefore I must accept your behavior. You've probably time to start collecting your passion get too much help. since then there was no forum, we can not understand this. But the man also forgets quickly and precisely now that the time is slow, you can login with your great album boast. I am sorry if the estimated time the veterans have blessed, you will not have much friends. I think

[ardennes1944]

dear mr ardennes
distrust is a fundamental property of the people, therefore I must accept your behavior. You've probably time to start collecting your passion get too much help. since then there was no forum, we can not understand this. But the man also forgets quickly and precisely now that the time is slow, you can login with your great album boast. I am sorry if the estimated time the veterans have blessed, you will not have much friends. I think

I have many friends ... and many friends in the veterans !!
I show my albums to share pictures.
But, as it leads to jealousy, this is my last post here.

[JulioMoc]

I have many friends ... and many friends in the veterans !!
I show my albums to share pictures.
But, as it leads to jealousy, this is my last post here.

Of course you don't need to do that Phil. Your contributions to this very thread are most important and always welcome. Many of us "old-threaders" think that way. We enjoy the pictures of your album, and I understand the feeling you have (same as I have) when one of them passes on. This forum is like a club of veterans' friends and enthusiasts, so, no better place to put our homage for them.

[JulioMoc]

And to the guys wanting addresses:

What Phil said summarized the opinion of most members here that correspond or personally know the veterans. Plenty of abuse towards them happened and will keep happening. The cases of Ernst Barkmann and Erich Topp are justs some of the most famous, and that made me pretty mad.

In my opinion, there is no "quick way" to get into this hobby. I tell you by my own experience. It took me years to get my first address, and then a lot of work and search on the internet to get more. Read my location on the left, I'm not european - thus had no personal contact with collectors - and got all I needed from my own work. It's not easy, but feasible. It only depends on you, so don't blame others for having their own ways to do things.

[PerMilitaria]

I fully agree with Phil and Jùlio.

I started contacting veterans when I was 13 or 14 years old. Today I am 21. I started to contact the most famous ones, their addresses were the easiest to find. Later I started to make contact with collectors that knew veterans personally, we spoke, got to know eachother and later they gave me some addresses to help me with my collection.

I have got many PMs on this forum asking me to give out addresses to RK veterans. I can't do that! I don't know too many people on this forum, but the ones I know I can help with one address or two. I have heard many stories about people treating the veterans bad. For example the theft from Ernst Barkmann. Another forum member asked in a thread here on WAF after an address to a veteran already dead! He knew that he was gone but wanted the address anyway! That's stupid!

Continue your search on the internet. But remember these guys are very old and need some peace.

[mtdr]

Every year I visited in Germany Normandy veterans at their home but I still know them longer than a year or 2 years. Most of the time, after years of conversation, they lett me in their house and that's for me the most beautifull thing: then I build a "relation" with this honorable people and that's not because I am interested in a after-war photograph with signature() but because of I like and want to learn their personally and will listen to their story.

If veterans see that your are really interesting and you will do research/efforts they are happy you contact them. Most of the veterans I met were so happy that people of my age(around the 20) are still interesting in that time and want to listen to them, despite their age.

Btw. I don't agree that people who want to build a relation with veterans are to late but maybe you don't contact only that KC veterans, other unknown veterans can have a story who is many more interesting(for me the story of a Normandy veterans is many more interesting than from a KC winner...).

[Annelie]

On ebay there are 236 autographs of German Vets.
Someday is selling them, of course there are probably
one or two people selling bogus signatures.

Wouldn't mind knowing who they are?

For most part Vets do like telling their stories but
imagine befriending someone then come to realize
your signature is out on ebay for sale?

[gregoperations2]

I see that and wonder what the vets think of that. When I write, I make sure to let them know up front that I will not sell nor profit from the autographs that they send. I also follow up with a thank you note and a picture of the frames that my son and I create to hang in our living room.

[gregoperations2]

Could somebody tell me how to insert pictures in this forum

[Annelie]

I think you have to be a paying member if I remember?

Perhaps someone else will post them for you?

At the end of the page (?) you will see what you are allowed to do.

[gregoperations2]

I will check. Thanks

[Tom B]

I was lucky !

After reading much in this thread, I guess I was lucky that I started writing to RKT's in 1973. It was so nice being able to become friends with many of them when they were young & in good health. My many, many visits with them will always be something dear to my heart. Tom

[mdj]

After reading much in this thread, I guess I was lucky that I started writing to RKT's in 1973. It was so nice being able to become friends with many of them when they were young & in good health. My many, many visits with them will always be something dear to my heart. Tom

Wow tom....what a long experience.
Great memories you must have from those visits....
Martin

[Tom B]

One of my visits To a RKT

I will share with all of you what happened on just one of my visits with a RKT. January 1981 - On a cold & very snowy day in Frankfurt a.M. Artur Becker-Neetz and me drank WAY to many beers ! For hours he re-inacted for me what happened in the battle which won him the RK ! I wish I had it on tape, as it was fantastic ! Great memories ! Tom

[mdj]

I will share with all of you what happened on just one of my visits with a RKT. January 1981 - On a cold & very snowy day in Frankfurt a.M. Artur Becker-Neetz and me drank WAY to many beers ! For hours he re-inacted for me what happened in the battle which won him the RK ! I wish I had it on tape, as it was fantastic ! Great memories ! Tom

OW, thats great.......

Restaurant Cosmopolitan

I have a special relation with Artur. He is great guy. Very intelligent and still makes every day integral calculations. He can talk and talk for hours.

Martin