Helmut Bruck

[Dave Kane]

Happy Father's Day to all!

Will someone post pictures of Luft. pilot HELMUT BRUCK?

Thanks,

Dave

[jacques]

Happy Father's Day to all!

Will someone post pictures of Luft. pilot HELMUT BRUCK?

Thanks,

Dave

bruck

[Dave Kane]

That's great Jacques!!! Thankyou..


I've sent you a PM


Dave

[Luc]

I'm looking for his KC, because I've just bought his oak leaves L50.
The whole group was split years ago and it would be great that the KC and Oak Leaves would be together again..
If someone has his KC, please contact me ldb86@hotmail.com

[VtwinVince]

Last time I checked, Father's Day wasn't until June.

[Larry deZeng]

How could the Eichenlaub belonging to a distinguished veteran like this:

BRUCK, Helmut. (DOB: 16.02.13 in Kitlitztreben/Kreis Bunzlau). (RE, DKG). 1935 trf from the Polizei to the Luftwaffe. 01.04.36 assigned to I./St.G. 165 at Kitzingen following flight training. 01.11.38 Oblt., Staka 1./St.G. 165. 09.39 Staka 1./St.G. 51. 06.40 Staka 1./St.G. 77. 28.08.40 Hptm., appt Kdr. I./St.G. 77 (to 19.02.43). 04.41 promo to Hptm. 04.09.41 Hptm., awarded Ritterkreuz for prior service while Staka 1./St.G. 77. 20.10.42 Hptm., Gruppenkommandeur I./St.G. 77, awarded DKG. 13.02.43 trf to Stab/St.G. 77 and appt Kommodore. 19.02.43 Hptm., awarded Eichenlaub, Hptm., Kdr. I./St.G. 77. 01.03.43 promo to Maj. 20.02.43 appt Kommodore St.G. 77 (to 18.10.43). 18.10.43 Maj., appt Kommodore SG 77 (to 15.02.45). 01.05.44 promo to Obstlt. (RDA 01.11.43). 01.06.44 promo to Oberst. 07.12.44 Oberst, appt Kommodore SG 151 (may not have actually taken over until 15.02.45; to 31.03.45). Credited with 973 combat missions. Became a forester after the war. †25.08.2001.

.....end up in private hands?

It is very difficult and even shocking for a decorated Vietnam veteran in his late sixties such as myself to understand why at least someone in his family - a son, daughter, nephew, niece, etc. - would not want to keep his hard-won awards in the family's possession. Was there no one in his family that he meant anything to?

Helmut Bruck was one of but a handful who rose from Lt. to Oberst in less that 10 years, was in the thick of it in the most dangerous flying component of the Luftwaffe - 973 combat missions as a Schlachtflieger - and survived. He was not only an extraordinarily courageous warrior and leader, but an extremely competent and skilled manager.

I cannot imagine his family not respecting that, unless they all became communists or pacifists after the war.

--BHS1956

[R MICHAEL]

Uhhhmm, check the date of the original post.. remember it has already been fathers day in 6-04..

Last time I checked, Father's Day wasn't until June.

[Hank C.]

How could the Eichenlaub belonging to a distinguished veteran like this:

...edit...
.....end up in private hands?
....edit...
I cannot imagine his family not respecting that, unless they all became communists or pacifists after the war.

--BHS1956

Shocking to us, but this has been touched upon in a few threads. Reasons might include:
- You can't keep everything. Sometimes, something has to go.
- Financial difficulties for the surviving family
- A wish to remember him as a Forester, father, brother, etc, not as a warrior
- short-sightedness, but once it was gone it was gone.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but these are just a few. Not everybody feels the same way about awards and decorations as those of us that collect them as a passion.

best
Hank

[Luc]

don't judge the family to fast...
he himself sold everything he had (decorations, uniforms..) in 1998!!

[Larry deZeng]

I gather from the two replies, then, that he either may not have had anyone to give them to or he needed the money. Foresters are not usually counted among the affluent, so at age 85 he may have been running out of savings. I am sure the anti-militarism that prevails in most of German society today had something to do with it, too.