I’ve been reading Test of Courage by Christopher Robbins. The book is both motivating and disheartening simultaneously. Uplifting to read about Michel Thomas, a Jew, who escaped from concentration camp not once, not twice but three times during WW2. He then aided both the French Resistance and the American Counter intelligence Command (CIC). Despite knowledge that several members of his family had died in concentration camps, Michel played a key role justly interrogating Nazi criminals at the close of the war. His work led to many being brought to justice.
Eventually, Michel relocated to the United States. He founded an approach to language that allowed students to be conversant in a new language in three days. His students included youths, Hollywood stars, diplomats and corporate executives.
The disheartening part stems from little know acts of evil during and horrific choices following the conclusion of the war. Most of an advanced age are familiar with the facts about the deportation and deaths of six million Jews. Some have even read about the Malmedy Massacre where more than seventy American soldiers were gunned down by Germans after surrendering. Americans returned the evilness by doing the same to prisoners in Sicily. Perpetrators of the Malmedy Massacre were not totally held accountable as American leaders likely did not wish to have the Sicilian incident uncovered.
Following the war many of the worse Nazi Gestapo officers escaped punishment for the torture and deaths of millions and were instead rewarded, especially by America. In one case Klaus Barbie, the “Butcher of Lyons” was hidden from French officials and utilized by CIC. Barbie was also known to have had children from a French orphanage gassed to death.
When Barbie was in danger of being located and arrested by the French, he was given false papers and transported to Brazil. There he later set up concentration camps for the Brazilian president Banzer in the early 1970s.
Many German scientists, including the physician who had directed hideous maiming experiments on the imprisoned, were brought to the U.S. for employment in government and corporations. Rather than punish them for their crimes against humanity, officials justified their acquisition in the name of science….and I image economics.
All of these events happened while many remained silent and without action. Even when the plight of the Jewish people was suspected, if not known, many countries stood by doing nothing while millions died.
Atrocities happen in the heat of war. Evil events happen more often than we would like. I do believe that every human has the potential for both goodness and evil. Most humans are good. It’s up to the individual to choose between the two. However, we should keep in mind that failure to choose and act allows evil to happen…..an important point for all times especially in todays current events.
SeniorTraveler 