Valor Friday
This bronze monument of a Wehrmacht soldier carrying two children to safety at first glance doesn’t seem too unusual. It is the only known monument to a German soldier that was erected in a territory that the Third Reich occupied. You see, the people of this Dutch town, despite reviling their brutal wartime overlords, put this statue up in honor of a brave young man that was part of that occupation force. The reason why they’ve done so is one of triumph and tragedy.
The man depicted in this memorial is Karl-Heinz Rosch. He was an 18 year old German Army private in 1944. His unit was stationed at a farm in Goirle on 6 October of that year. As the Allies were victoriously pushing the Nazi war machine back to the fatherland, Rosch and his men were engaged.
As the battle raged, for some reason two small children who lived at the farm continued to play. Totally desensitized to the war and with no regard of the danger they were in, they continued to frolic in the courtyard. Right between the two warring armies.
Rosch rushed into the open to save the two tots. Grabbing them each under one of his arms, Rosch carried them to the relative safety of the basement of the farm house from which the Germans were fighting. Moments after ferrying them to some cover, Rosch ran out into the courtyard again. As he was moving to a position where he could fire, a grenade landed at his feet. He was standing right where, mere seconds before, the two Dutch children were playing. The bomb’s burst killed the valiant young man instantly.
As Rosch was part of the enemy occupying force, the tale of his bravery was covered up. It wasn’t until 2008 that the story was made public. When people started to inquire about making a monument to his sacrifice, the government refused to use tax dollars on a statue of an enemy. Private funds were raised though and the above picture memorial serves to remember that war is not as black and white as it seems.
The final sentence of the epithet on the monument reads, “This statue is a tribute to him and all who do good in evil times.”
Category: Historical, Valor
Guess they don’t have antifa / blm over there…
And BZ to Rosch for saving the kids.
The word you’re looking for is “epitaph”. Epithets are what I use when discussing people I don’t like.
“The body of the young soldier was removed from its grave on the farm site and reburied in the German War Cemetery in Ysselsteyn.”
https://www.argunners.com/hero-goirle-untold-story-karl-heinz-rosch/
Thank You, Mason, for sharing the story.
Serving in the war in which he had no choice.
Saving those children was his choice.
Well done Rosch. May you rest in peace.
“Friedrich Lengfeld: I died For The Enemy During Battle of Hürtgen Forest”
https://www.argunners.com/friedrich-lengfeld-died-enemy-battle-hurtgen-forest/
“Friedrich Lengfeld was a German officer in the Wehrmacht who died in November 1944 during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest (“Hürtgenwald”) whilst trying to save the life of a U.S. soldier. Notably, he may also be the only German soldier whom received a monument from former U.S. soldiers to honor an act of bravery by the enemy.”
“Friedrich Lengfeld is buried in Kriegsgräberstätte Düren-Rolsdorf, grave no. 38, however his monument (which was erected by former U.S. Soldier) is placed on the Kriegsgräbertätte (German Military Cemetery) Hürtgenwald.”
“His monument reads: No man hath greater love than he who layeth down his life for his enemy.”
“PLACED AT THIS SITE ON OCTOBER 7, 1994
THE
TWENTY SECOND UNITED STATES
INFANTRY
SOCIETY – WORLD WAR II
“Deeds Not Words”
Weird things happen in war. Good to see people don’t lose their humanity. Hell of a story.
A True Hero deserves recognition no matter what kind of uniform he wore.
Great Story, again, Mason. Thanks!
It’s hard to explain this to people who have never served. We respect our opponents. It would be fatal not to. We don’t have to like them, or support them, or feel admiration for them; but we have to respect them when we know they are good at what they do.
And when an enemy steps out of his role as the enemy, and does something we ourselves would do for a friend or loved one, we can honor that man, or woman, for the service they render, and for the reminder that there is still a spark of God inside all of us, because He made all of us.
Amen, Skivvy.
The Image of God is borne by all mankind. To fail to recognize that is to descend into great evil.
Proof that not every German Soldier was a Nazi nor evil.
When I was a kid and just getting into WWII history my dad passed these words on to me.
“Mike as you read about the atrocities, etc, remember this. Not every German was a NAZI, and not every NAZI was a German”.
Didn’t understand it at the time, but in time I did. Dad was also a military history buff, and with us stationed in Europe we got to see a lot of monuments, battle sites, etc.
Mike
USAF Retired
Great post.
There is always a Higher Calling.
Thank God Private Rosch listened.
Damned allergies.
Dusty here too.
Pass a kleenix, will’ya?
“No greater love….”