Joseph Halpern died in Ottawa this past summer. He was 88. He might have looked like every other old man each of us sees regularly but his history was certainly a whole lot different than most. This description of his life is well worth a read. Quite a contrast from the lives that we all lead today!
The old adage, “don’t judge a man unless you’ve walked a mile in his shoes”, certainly applies here.
Well, that’s just awesome.
I’m gonna go read it again.
Regardless of the horrors which are unspoken but alluded to in this story, it is an uplifting story of the human spirit as far as I’m concerned.
I would never judge him, nor any other, who fought the Nazis. So many Jews didn’t get the chance to fight. Being blessed without the fear gene (as he said), he sought the opportunity to fight back and not only succeeded, but survived both the Nazis and the Communists.
His memories were enough punishment, if he thought he deserved punishment for some of his deeds.
For me, I say God bless him.
Rest in peace.
Thanks for the link Robert. I am glad his son George released this story. RIP Joseph Halpern.
Thank you for sharing that wonderful love story about a remarkable man. May he rest in eternal peace at last.
I wish there’d been a photo of Joseph Halpern as an older man.
A fascinating story. Thanks for posting it, Robert.
R.I.P, Joseph Halpern.
Not a pleasant story to read for me. My people fought on the other side. The victors always get to write the history of the war. When is Spielberg going to make the movie about this guy? Oscar guaranteed.
Rest in peace Joseph.
What an amazing story and what a burden to carry through life. This is a testament to the human spirit. A movie could be made about this along the lines of Sobidor or Defiance.
Thanks Robert for posting this story.
@ john, war is hell, for both sides, defenders as well as aggressors and there are those on each side who become beasts and commit acts such as what the officers did to Joseph. Many moons ago, during my early years of reserve military service, some veterans related events to me that they had seen and were similar to what happened to Joseph in the forest. Difference was that these events were committed by allied troops.
There also many good people, the vast majority I expect, who want to get it over with, do what needs to be done and who do not descend to mindless killing such as the German soldier with a schmeizer sub-machine gun, who coming upon a British paratrooper in the bush helping a wounded comrade near Arnhem during Market Garden, waved his hand at the paratrooper and silently left. This ex paratrooper became a Canadian Army I-Staff attached to our infantry regiment in the 1960s. The last I heard he had retired to a small acreage in the foothills of Alberta.
And another thing. There are people in Canada would do what the SS did to Joseph’s people.
In 1971, my wife and I purchased a small six acre fruit farm in the Niagara area and I brought fruit to the office when people asked for some. It was a hobby farm which we sold in 1974 and moved to Saskatchewan to grain farm full time.
One day a woman, who was instrumental in bring a union into our office, came to my desk, leaned over and quietly said ” You know that fruit farm you bought, someday we will take it away from you”.
There are scum in all nationalities. Joseph was a hero.
BTW john, my heritage is the same as yours.
Sorry for posting three times on this and hopefully my intent in my comments is clear.
“There are scum in all nationalities. Joseph was a hero. ”
and so there is good in every nationality/identifiable groups….a wide brush will always miss some spots:-))))
batb: If you click the photo tab beside the story tab, there is a pic of Joseph as an older man (at bottom)
Great story!
Love the Freedom Fighter header. Inspirational!
Thanks, flaunagirl. Got it!