Manfred Rommel, Erwin’s only son, died on the 7th November 2013.
He was only 15 when his father was forced to take poison on October 14th 1944. He had only just been transferred to an AA battery, when he was given leave to see his father. Erwin Rommel was still recovering from the serious injuries he sustained in an air attack on 17th July in Normandy. His son was happy to spend time with his father and to discuss the war.
Unfortunately, Manfred was only to have a few moments with his father as two men arrived soon after to take him away. Manfred was not present at the meeting amongst these three men and after saying his goodbyes was never to see him alive again.
Manfred was born on Christmas Eve 1924 in Stuttgart and was conscripted into the Luftwaffe aged 14. He surrender to French forces at war’s end and enjoyed a post war life as a civil servant and later, politician, becoming mayor of Stuttgart. He also befriended Montgomery’s son in 1979, finding they had much in common. (Monty had died three years earlier.)
Wow, I have seen Manfred on several shows and read about him in Trail of the Fox. Its alarming how many of the WWII era people have past away.
If you come across a WWII vet take time to visit with them.
Evening Worsham. Nice sentiment.
Talking of Vets, a WW2 ex soldier has said he will be wearing a poppy for the last time today.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/08/poppy-last-time-remembrance-harry-leslie-smith
@ABWorsham:
If you come across a WWII vet take time to visit with them.
I once had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours in a private meeting with a Rear Admiral who, as a WWII naval lieutenant, had commanded a RCN corvette in the Battle of the Atlantic. We met in Ottawa in 1999. In 2002 I travelled to Halifax to meet with a former enlisted man who had served as part of the engine room crew of the same ship. It was fascinating to have talked with two WWII naval veterans who had served at opposite ends of the chain of command of the same ship during the war.
It was reported in 2011 that only 10% of WWII veterans still remain. Somewhere between 150,000 and 250,000 die each year in the US alone!
I read that there are no longer any surviving WWI veterans.
@ABWorsham:
I read that there are no longer any surviving WWI veterans.
Indeed, such a tragedy that the loss cannot be fully expressed.
We need to preserve the history we can with those vets that remain.
GG
Still very unfortunate there is no memorial in DC for WWI (the temple to DC veterans in the Mall is dwarfed by everything, it feels forgotten).
Still very unfortunate there is no memorial in DC for WWI (the temple to DC veterans in the Mall is dwarfed by everything, it feels forgotten).
Kansas City has the WWI museum. WWI has become the forgotten War.
Thanks for sharing this information, Wittmann. I think I’ve seen Manfred Rommel on German television a few times, but I was unaware that he had such a distinguished career of his own.
@Herr:
Thanks for sharing this information, Wittmann. I think I’ve seen Manfred Rommel on German television a few times, but I was unaware that he had such a distinguished career of his own.
I share these thoughts, had little knowledge that he made such a career for himself.
@ABWorsham:
Wow, I have seen Manfred on several shows and read about him in Trail of the Fox. Its alarming how many of the WWII era people have past away.
If you come across a WWII vet take time to visit with them.
This I believe is very true. Not just to honor a veteran - any veteran - but also to document a key moment in history. I believe I failed in meeting someone years ago that still haunts me.
I was supposed to meet “Tony” that was an Airborne vet from WW2 here in the US living in Ohio. My grandfather, also an airborne vet that barely missed out on the Korean war, had tried to arrange it for me when I was in middle school for a project. It was a simple report on key points in America’s history, and I was determined to do something good and beyond what I had already read about. “Tony” had a hard time since he was in his 80s, and I never met him. I don’t remember his last name. He died before I could get the chance, and his name has never left me (near half my life ago).
This is it guys, one of our common threads in the fabric of our lives. It is also a chance to glean wisdom and a chunk of history from our elders.
RIP Tony and all veterans everywhere: you sacrifice was not in vain.
I would give up a years salary for an hour with my grandfather, an infantrymen from the 2nd ID 1940-45. He past away in 1997 and I was too caught up in chasing women during the final years of his life.
@ABWorsham:
I would give up a years salary for an hour with my grandfather, an infantrymen from the 2nd ID 1940-45. He past away in 1997 and I was too caught up in chasing women during the final years of his life.
My other grandfather died on my birthday almost 7 years ago. I would ask him about his time serving, but he never wanted to talk about it. I didn’t push the issue. He enlisted at 17 (lied about his age) after eloping to Kentucky with my grandmother to get married so young. He served in the Pacific and piloted landing craft. I’m not sure what he saw, but it was bad enough that he didn’t like to be reminded of it.
My grandfather was an open book about his service. He loved his job, he delivered food to unit. A guy with large quantities of food surrounded by a hungry population, he loved the attention the women gave him.
His job was good until the front lines stabilized. He would then targeted by artillery bringing in supplies to his unit. He got targeted by mortars at Brest. And on the Westwall he was targeted by an 88mm.
