<Begin Segment 23>

SK: After that we advanced and, I guess, this is the first time I saw a German right there in front of me. We were strung along, ready to go forward, and we were waiting for orders to go forward. Then about 200 yards away I see medics moving back and forth so I went to investigate. Here on the ground I saw a good-looking German. Blond, big fellow, SS on his collar. So I asked the medic, "What happened?" He (said), "The darn fool refused our medical aid." "So what happened?" "Oh, he bled to death." So I guess it told me how proud the SS men were for the fatherland. Kill or be killed. It's okay, I got killed. So actually he died because he bled to death.

TI: And how did that make you feel about the German or SS?

SK: Oh, I felt bad in a way, but yet happy that one German was out of the way.

TI: Did that give you a sense of more respect for the German soldiers?

SK: Respect, yeah, very much. It seems like he was an officer. I really don't know at that time, but yes, I respected the German SS. I mean, refusing aid and just dying away.

TI: And what did that make you feel like what to expect when you fought the Germans, did you think that it was going to be harder?

SK: That they were good soldiers, yeah, that we have to be more careful and fight just as hard as they. I had a kind of queasy feeling, too, seeing a dead man right there in front of my eyes.

TI: So, who had just, just died.

SK: Just died, yeah. But my respect for the Germans (was) very high at that time.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.