Never be ashamed of those tears! They just show you are a decent human being who can relate to these two men! Show them with pride, there is nothing wrong with that. Much love from Germany 🫶

The young men and boys in particular, whose parents were not convinced Nazis, certainly saw it as positive that something was FINALLY happening to put an end to this madness. Both of my grandparents were children during the Nazi regime and my grandad was almost called up for military service in the last days of the war when he was fifteen. He and his comrades, who were already on their way to the front, cried with joy when an American army lorry came towards them and the GIs told them to go home. What's more, the Americans and British in particular not only "arrested" people, but also gave some of them urgently needed food and medicine. So they also saved the lives of many Germans. Especially children and the elderly.

We can't imagine the nightmares all these guys had through all their lives. My grandfather fought in Stalingrad, he was one of the few that survived and even fewer who came back from russian imprisonment. I only remember him as a broken man. I have seen pictures of him as a young, proud, strong man, but I can't get those two people fit together as one man. I remember him waking up screaming in the middle of the night. He was never again the man he was when he was drafted for the war. RIP

forgiveness is much more powerful than hate. That was a really strong act!

a man touched to tears is cure. we should be proud about our tears

When the british soldier says "We are more than that, we are brothers." It always get's me. 😭

I think the British and the German have more in common then they would ever admit ✌🏻

Both of them passed away in 2021 Paul Golz on 10/12/2021 Harry Read on 12/14/2021 So RIP to both of them 🕊

7:15 I think he may be referring to some curious things that I've heard several veterans (of different wars) say over the years. Combat is thrilling. And once the engagement starts, people don't have time to think and be afraid, it's all just action and reaction, executing orders. The quiet in between is apparently the difficult thing to deal with. I have absolutely no experience with any of this but I think I've heard sentiments like that quite a few times from actual soldiers.

It`s so beautiful to see and touched my heart deeply how former enemies have become friends. My father was born 1938 in Brandenburg (East Germany) and the family fled to West Germany to escape the Russians. My paternal grandfather died 1941 as a soldier of the Wehrmacht in Stalingrad (Russia) , when my father and my late uncle were still small. Unfortunately we don`t know where he was buried either. That`s why I can`t watch war films , because they always make me cry. RIP to all murdered soldiers doesn`t matter which nation.💞🙏

What I took from this Video and also did from my grandparents, is to appreciate the peace all past generations in western Europe grew up in. We don't even now what treasure this is without having seen the opposite. I grew up without hard borders around. When I was 3 years old, we had a trip to Bayrisch Eisenstein, a town at the German-Czech border. We just walked over it like walking any other street with many others going to work, shopping, etc on the other side. Thats the typ of boarder I grew up with. Today I regularly tavel to the Netherlands and other countries, something just to go shopping or visiting an attraction. Sometimes I don't even realize when we crossed boarder anymore. Because the only things telling you are a the sign on the highway and different road markings. I never want to lose this. But the past few years showed us that this freedom is endangered...

In these days we are living it is of the utmost importance that we do not forget what happened in WWII.

Wow, first time seeing ryan crying. Good that we are stand now side by side! Greets from Berlin ❤

My father and my father-in-law both fought in WW II. Germans. Just because of that mentally disturbed Hitler! My father-in-law lost three fingers on one hand in Russia. My father had been deployed to Westwall (France) first, but had to go to Belarus later to support troops fighting around Smolensk. He was wounded several times, too, but not overly severely. He then was "awarded" time off the front to recover at Attersee/Austria, before, of course, being sent back. He was prisoner of war to the English, to the Americans (they captured him in the West, naturally, but were not able to ship him to a p-o-w camp across the Atlantic as ships were attacked constantly, too), and finally to the Russians. He returned home from Russia in late 1945, early 1946. He was heavily traumatized and I remember him waking up at night quite regularly, screaming loud from terrible nightmares. He also developped a heart condition that was not really a physical one, clearly more psychosomatic. My father-in-law came out of the war a little better off, but his nervous system was always a bit unstable. He also could be found oftentimes drinking a little more than he perhaps should, although he was not an alcoholic. To think that now similar things would happen to people fighting in Ukraine/Russia or any other place of armed conflicts - it just makes me very sad.

I don't think we have "a decade or so left" with any significant number of veterans. If you fought in 1944 as a 20-year old, you're now exactly 100. My grandpa fits that description, except he left us many years ago, as a very old man.

Paul Golz too died in late 2021 just 2 months before his friend harry

You don't have to pull back the tears Ryan, that's why we love your videos so much, you're such a sympathic and authentic guy, please keep going on like this 🥰 wish you a great weekend and big hugs from Germany 😘

Man... I love your videos. No matter what topic... they are all so personal width your thoughts and comments. It's always pleasure to watch an listen! Greetings from Germany

Of course they did not dislike each other. Even back then they would not have under normal circumstances. On either side, they were told by old, bitter, dying man - living far away in a comfortable environment away from the front - to kill each other for no reason. Just like today´s wars are fought. They are told to be enemies, it is not their decision to make.

Ryan, you're a hero in your own way! Keep it up.

You have two deaths, the physical death, but the second death only happens when someone is completely forgotten. It's doubtful many WWII veterans will be forgotten.

My dead was 19, first at french frontier, than unfortunately russian frontier. While americans tried to be good, russian soldiers wanted to punish. He told most of that about 18-years-old trapped german soldiers already died in the train to Siberia, either of hunger or because they ate bad stuff, like their own s... He managed to come back after 7 years of hard working prison camp. But he never got his health back again.

Great reaction! Regarding the German soldier feeling relief/positive about the losing the war rather than the opposite - I think there were quite some of these very young, basically teenage soldiers who were primarily fighting because they literally had to, and not so much out of actual conviction for the cause. My greatgrandpa was in a very similar position (and age), though he ended up as a Russian POW back then. Of course, they grew up with the Nazi ideology doctrinated into them, that surely does something with you, especially at such a young, formative age. But personally, I can very much relate to what the German soldier said regarding his thoughts back then (well, as far as I can relate to something I have not experienced, anyways). Germany was starting to lose long before that loss was official, and I think hoping that the (western) allies would win (and thus the war would finally end) at that point was as much hope as anyone could have had

And it is even more crazy to know that today, there are still wars happening. 😳 Well done, thank you for sharing this video. It was my first time seeing it. Kind regards from Rae Ward in New Zealand 🇳🇿 😊❤

4:14 yeah sadly most of the WW2 veterans passed away by now but it is important that we rewatch videos like this and keep talking about it because their sacrifices shouldnt be forgotten these men built the Countries that we currently live in. Mostly in peace at least.

Emotion pur - Great Film. Great Video. Great Ryan … well Done. Greating from germany

Hello, in the 80' a huge Hit from Paul Hardcastle 😢 19 😢 nineteen years old boys at Vietnam War.

Thanks Ryan🙏, this was really touching😢

Bless them how amazing , we must always remember the sacrifices made long may our remembrance services continue . Lest we forget

You really need to look up the story and eventual reunion of Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown. One of the most wholesome WW2 stories out there.

You need to look up the story of Charlie brown and Franz stiegler, it has restored my faith in humanity 😅

Impressed! I guess perhaps one of your most profound videos so far. Thank you for thoughts and reactions and honest emotions on this matter. And greetings from (presently) a peaceful, lovely and quiet Latvia 🇱🇻, only a stone‘s throw away from the Russian/ Belarusian borders with NATO, where a possible new conflict is unfortunately anything but unthinkable anymore.

„Wer die Geschichte nicht erinnert, ist verurteilt, sie neu zu durchleben“ (Anyone who does not remember history is condemned to relive it) - George Santayana This phrase is written on Block 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp....

My father joined up at the end of the War (lied about his age) could only have been 17. He died December 2023 aged 96 - he was aiming for 100

This was really touching ❤

The reaction reminds me of the background story to the Sabaton song No Bullets Fly, between Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown (not the cartoon character). When Franz Stigler came upon a bullet riddled plane instead of shooting it down he defied orders and escorted them out to the channel. They did not talk about it for decades until over 40 years later or so they were reunited.

Aged 18 on D-day means 13 years old when the war began, 7 years old when the regime took over - hard to imagine what this all meant for someone who never really consciously experienced a society at peace or one where ones life isn't just a means to secure the state and leaders supposed needs...

You should watch "The WWII Tank Battle caught on camera" It's the best documented and closest look of what war was. It shows no gore or anything and the documentation put TONS of effort into recreating and explaining everything in such a short video. It even won several awards. It was Americans cleaning out the city VS Germans (3 people vs 4 people nothing else)

10:08 oh it is very hard for me too, to not cry..

Alle Politiker sollten sich das anschauen !!!!!! Und für Frieden sorgen , Nie wieder Krieg !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of the over ten thousand veterans that marched past the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Day this year several were over 100 years old.

Every video or interview I have seen of people who have survived wars has the same message: do everything to keep the peace. Peace is precious. In every war it's the people on the ground who lose, on both sides. The only "winners" are the people making money off weapons and gaining more power. I hope one day we will have ended all wars. Peace and love from Germany.

Very strong reaction. Keep up your good work! 👍

Wow, four minutes ago? Never been this early.

My grandma was a child hoping every day, that the Brits or the American would come before the Russians, because she was female. So I understand his relief when he saw American ships.

You remember the song "19" by Paul Hardcastle? "In WWII, the average age was 26. In Vietnam, he was 19". These both where an exception.

Try to understand, the most German soldiers didn't fight for their beliefs, they fight because they were forced to. My great grandfather was wounded in the battle of "Hürtgenwald" and became a prisoner of war in the US and later in GB. He told me, that this time was the best wartime. He mustn't any longer crawl in mud, got warm clothes, enough to eat, and no fear to be shot. Yes, he has to work, but to work is much better than to kill.

“Harry Read, 97, passed away on Tuesday, 14 December, 2021, after a short illness.” I can’t find anything about Paul Goltz other than this documentary.

Ernst jünger wrote about this camaraderie between enemies too, understanding that the other one might not have chosen their place in that war and act without malice or cruelty

In 1994 i did a voyage to Normandy and Bretagne. At Normandy beach i saw a number of US veterans, easy to spot because of their caps.

My father, born in Vienna in 1924, was drafted into the Wehrmacht in 1942. After he was wounded for the second time on the Eastern Front in 1943, he was sent to southern France to fight partisans for rehabilitation. After D-Day he was transferred to France and, after months of defensive fighting, was taken prisoner by the Americans in the Ardennes in 1945. My mother, born in 1925, lived in eastern Austria. In 1945, her family of eight were put against the wall by the Russians to be shot and were only barely saved from being shot by a Russian political officer. My father died in 2016, my mother died in 2017. And today a young person feels “traumatized” when he is banned from using a cell phone!? Our society is SICK!

Ninjas cutting onions, again...

I am german and my grandfather had to fight in WW2, he was forced to go only two days after he married my grandmother. He got captured by the british and while he never told me anything about the war, because i was to young, my grandmother told me. According to my grandfather, the british where true gentlemen, they knew exactly who was forced in the war and who really believed in all this bullshit and treated the prisoners with dignity. A high ranked officer or i dont know, had the same last name as my grandfather and gave him something to write and made shure that the letter reached my grandmother so that she knows he is alive. And yes my grandmother also said the same about the russian soldiers. They felt sad for them too, but where affraid of them. The americans where held in high regard, even though they scared my grandmother when they target her with a tank, but it was only a misunderstanding😅 I am shure a lot of germans didnt want to fight, even my father who was soldier at the wall never could have shoot anyone or viewed the west as enemys

One of my grandfathers was fighting as a German soldier in WWII - from the very beginning in Poland. In the second half of 1944 he was ordered to leave the Russian front and go to Italy. He spoke several languages back then already. Among them English, French, Russian and Italian. Between the south of Russia and Northern Italy he was allowed to visit his wife, my grandmother, who had given birth two children - one of them my mother - during the war. He got into an angry dispute with his father in law because he realized that he didn't have the slightest clue about what was going on at the front due to Nazi propaganda being particularly effective in more rural and provincial regions. Arriving in Italy he was supposed to fight partisans but realized that too often innocent civilians were deemed partisans. He probably ended in a similar situation described by the German soldier in the video. Encountering an American unit he knew perfectly well that the war was over for him then. He had to stay in Naples as prisoner of war. After some time US military found out about his language skills "employing" him as translator. His language skills allowed him to have many friendly encounters and experiences after the war. In his eyes the western allies liberated Europe from Nazism and fascism and saved Western Europe from Stalin's totalitarian regime. He always remained grateful to the USA for what they did and how they were treating him. Since my family was living within the French occupation zone initial experiences with French occupation were not excessively positive. But after some time relations with the French improved and started to turn into the beginnings of the European project of reconciliation and unification - now known as the European Union.

Well someone who was 18 when the war ended in 1945 is 97 years old now. So i dont think we have a decade left of survivors. Sure there may be one or two, but...

my grandfather fought for germany in ww2, i mean there was not really a choice xD if ur country is at war you fight, and you try your best to do it as a decent human being.

It's always the same. The leaders order us to hate the other, is no different today. But War is always the same. 😊

It was so long ago for someone who did not live then. For people who expirienced it, no matter which side, it might seem like yesterday.

One very interesting Story is Bert Trautmans live.

Now you know why the EU was formed. Europe was so fed up with constant wars ! And I hope still is with unfortunately some exceptions !!

People who are still alive where all children during that time.

Maybe you should watch a video of Sabaton: No bullets fly (animated story video). It's about the story of Franz Stiegler, a german fighter pilot, and Charles Brown, a US bomber pilot, and how they became friends... Maybe you could react to this, i'd surely want to see ;D

D-day 1994? I didn't know i was alive on D-day! 🤣

I'm currently watching the video with the thoughts in the back of my mind about how the military should be made more war-fighting again, according to our German policy, because NATO wants that so much. The capital system has to be kept running and that is only possible if there is a big war every now and then. At some point in the near future, a huge NATO exercise is to be carried out, with 90,000 soldiers going down from Norway to Romania, the largest since the Cold War. This is not a provocation towards Russia at all.. (I'm not a Russia fan.. but a fan of peace) And we are constantly told that we should learn from history. I believe that individuals have learned from history, but not politics! It's still wonderful to see that WWII veterans can meet and make peace with each other!

10:06 🥰👏

Oh shit youtube Hella fast today with your videos

My own grandfather was assigned to submarines, but the father of one of my fathers friends told stories about the early times of the Afrika Korps when soldiers had been fighting at day time, but met in the cold african nights to drink, smoke and talk. This didn't last long though

but at least they met :)

Why is this small part of this history of the last century so important to the Americans and English? There was even more that happened in the century than the Second World War! To be honest, as a third-generation German, it's enough for me to have to answer for the guilt of my grandfathers. We're made to believe that we're guilty right from the start in school.

They were both just puppets in a political power struggle and this Game is still going on.

this 60-year-old german bumped into an american WWII veteran on a cruise ship in the caribbean. I commented on his apparent good health and wished him well. Couldn't really thank him for his service, but it was overall a very positive experience.

Too bad Putin didn't watch this video.

imagine today, you have people in europe, who were born in peace, grew up in peace, had their whole life in peace, and went to retirement in peace. just think about it.

If I was 18 yrs old and on that beach back then I would be sh

0:34 D day 1994??😅

where were you at 18 in your life Ryan?

There is another video where one german former WWII tank comannder travels to france to meet his former US enemies.. They applauded as soon as he entered the room and shook his hands.. there is no hate..its brotherhood My garndfather (garman infantry) surrendered to US troops in Italy and was taken to the US.. Until he died he didnt have one bad word for the US. he always insisted that the US treated him WAY better than the german army..

8:01 Bro was groomed and indoctrinated to want to be part of the *strong* „hitler jugend“ (hitler youth) to crave war for the fatherland. And the fear of the russians was absolutely justified says my grandmother. My great great grandmother lived in a part of pre ww1 germany with her family till the russains came, destroyed everything and they fled to bavaria. There they lived in „asylum camps“ mostly scattered from their family loved ones. That incident with the russian soldiers left them in a pretty rough shape my grand grandmother did never talk about what happened and was basically left clinically depressed after it. But that didnt matter durring war times. Only thing that mattered back then was survival and the almost illusionary dream they could some day return to the their home. They never did. But it was later on a fun time for a child between the racism of other kids and the abusement of their traumatized parents that is. What im trying to say is they all had scars they couldnt quite handle.

he did not say it was a positiv experience....the word "positiv" is from the sentence befor.

Hey, he was 18 at the time. In his teens. That's when you think you're immortal.

Würde mich freuen 🙂

Licht&Liebe_

✌💌😘

If only the whole world could live in peace! Wenn die ganze Welt doch nur in Frieden leben könnte!