tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.comments2022-03-26T13:20:03.635-05:00The History InsiderRay Grasshoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14255628100297737824noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-10994488624668283552016-03-07T06:22:31.431-06:002016-03-07T06:22:31.431-06:00In April 1963 I went up in the Washington National...In April 1963 I went up in the Washington National Monumen. It was nothing fancy on the inside,but we could walk all around it &see all over Washington DC.as I remember.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13196923799125772825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-62873474103504348252015-12-14T16:08:40.340-06:002015-12-14T16:08:40.340-06:00thank you Ray. I got a A because of that.
thank you Ray. I got a A because of that.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13841582018620567484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-17508862937083776202015-05-07T00:01:39.014-05:002015-05-07T00:01:39.014-05:00I just finished watching "Hitler's Lost S...I just finished watching "Hitler's Lost Soldier" on my local PBS channel, and after watching it, all i have to say is, i am SO glad that they let him stay in the U.S.A. in 1985 after he let his story be known.<br /><br />If in 1945 they had sent him back to where he was from, he would have either been killed, or lived a life that would have been much worse than the life he lived in the U.S.A.<br /><br />I understand how he was torn in many different directions, and how he was under constant frustration & fear.<br />Knowing all of that, i repeat how glad i am that they let him stay in the U.S.A. in 1985 after he "surrendered",..he had been through more than enough already.<br /><br />I wish i had met him,..i think at times in our lives, we all have some feelings like the ones he went through, and all of us could relate to him in some manner or fashion.<br />I, as a red-blooded, born & raised American citizen, would have told him how glad i was to have him as a fellow citizen.<br /><br />God Bless this man for making the best of a horrible situation, and living a good LONG life to the ripe old age of 92. He certainly was successful at everything he ever did to survive, which tells me the fates were also on his side.<br /><br />What a story!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06437009024882725301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-15056037199168723202014-04-05T19:37:37.783-05:002014-04-05T19:37:37.783-05:00No doubt about it, the letter is indeed in the col...No doubt about it, the letter is indeed in the collections of the Harlan Crow Library in Dallas, Tex. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-26233775040948276572013-09-06T08:50:31.625-05:002013-09-06T08:50:31.625-05:00Dear Katie Anne,
I'm so sorry that your grand...Dear Katie Anne,<br /><br />I'm so sorry that your grandfather died.<br />After I had purchased his book in a German translation (which only has a fraction of the photos that the US copy offers), I read it many many times and was always wondering how he was doing after 1984/1985.<br /><br />My husband found on Youtube a German documentary from MDR (a former East German channel)on Georg Gaertner/Dennis Whiles and I watched it with the greatest interest.<br /><br />I also posted a review of his book and a few comments to other reviews (I got so furious when I read the dumb remark of a female reviewer claiming that Georg Gaertner lead a wonderful life in the US instead of going back to the eastern part of Germany which was in Russian hands at the time, before it belonged to Poland.<br /><br />I don't think at all that his life was so happy. He tried to make the best out of his situation, but always worried that somebody might recognize him.<br /><br />What I found particularly sad is the fact that he did fly to Germany only a few month or a year after his parents died. But at least he met his sister in Hamburg.<br /><br />From what I understand your grandfather lived at last in Bolder, CO, right?<br /><br />I immigrated to the US 11 years ago and have the US citizenship for several years. So I can understand the cultural difference between the US and Germany. It must have been much mo9re severe in WW II when there was still no German TV and most Germans did not know much about the American way of life.<br />Hitler did not allow after 1939 that American movies were shown at German movie theaters, for instance "Gone with the Wind" (1939) was not in German movie theaters before 1947/1948.<br /><br />Thank you for your comment on this blog.<br /><br />Have a great weekend,<br /><br />ChrissieChristine Mathieunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-62616549913115036822013-08-11T12:50:21.004-05:002013-08-11T12:50:21.004-05:00Thanks for your comments, Katie. Sad to hear about...Thanks for your comments, Katie. Sad to hear about his death, but thanks for letting us know. In fact, when I was a student at Texas A&M back in the 1970s, one of my professors was Arnold Krammer, whom your step-grandfather contacted about his former life. Ray Grasshoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14255628100297737824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-46162511228184400452013-08-11T12:47:39.461-05:002013-08-11T12:47:39.461-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Ray Grasshoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14255628100297737824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-69338471687511047012013-08-01T16:54:38.393-05:002013-08-01T16:54:38.393-05:00Awesome to see people interested in his story. Den...Awesome to see people interested in his story. Dennis Whiles was my step Grandfather (he passed Jan 2013). We were very close, he had quite the amazing life.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04262388422219254128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-26973108737860691752013-02-17T19:25:27.724-06:002013-02-17T19:25:27.724-06:00Lewis & Clark ... an amazing journey, all with...Lewis & Clark ... an amazing journey, all without Gore-Tex, Thinsulate and Vibram! I always enjoy L&C tales. Thanks, Ray.The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-23869810537661399682013-01-27T09:03:34.539-06:002013-01-27T09:03:34.539-06:00Great insight. Thanks, Ray.Great insight. Thanks, Ray.The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-88766580750492886052012-11-30T08:35:50.493-06:002012-11-30T08:35:50.493-06:00I think handwriting samples would be a much better...I think handwriting samples would be a much better indication of authenticity instead of the "correct" middle name which can be figured out rather easily. Ford Corpus Christihttp://www.eddieyaklinford.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-10009651829630931172012-09-13T11:53:40.648-05:002012-09-13T11:53:40.648-05:00Love your blog! It's my new favorite place si...Love your blog! It's my new favorite place since I accidentally discovered it while searching for confirmation of the story about Adams' attempt to gain a title for the v.p. However, I believe that Lincoln made that quote in his first inauguration speech. Whether or not that changes through ultimate meaning is a matter of perception, but I have always believed it more significant in that he said it as a promise to the people on his first day.Jay J. Juradohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08789332212301305770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-15708999305019617062012-07-15T20:31:45.941-05:002012-07-15T20:31:45.941-05:00Really interesting. Family dis-function, then, is...Really interesting. Family dis-function, then, is not a creation of the 20th Century ...The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-81389993422775574342012-07-02T10:03:41.267-05:002012-07-02T10:03:41.267-05:00Thanks for a great year of insights into American ...Thanks for a great year of insights into American History, Ray. With July 4 as our national birthday, celebration, I look forward to another year of your work on these pages.The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-80030326956404633912012-05-23T15:21:16.032-05:002012-05-23T15:21:16.032-05:00Sad to see that after all this time, Congress and ...Sad to see that after all this time, Congress and the Senate are still playing their games at the expense of others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-35230087661480369292012-03-24T22:04:04.954-05:002012-03-24T22:04:04.954-05:00Thanks for helping add dimension to these extraord...Thanks for helping add dimension to these extraordinary men. I enjoyed McCullough's 1776 and this story is fascinating.The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-50691769174192600492012-03-10T17:38:56.912-06:002012-03-10T17:38:56.912-06:00The material on the National Archives site is fasc...The material on the National Archives site is fascinating. Thank ya, thank ya very much.The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-71500995016193074242012-02-26T22:07:47.152-06:002012-02-26T22:07:47.152-06:00It is impossible to overstate the significance of ...It is impossible to overstate the significance of Jefferson, his commissioning of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the (yes, undaunted) courage of the Corps of Discovery on the development of our country. Thanks, Ray, for this glimpse at yet another aspect of Jefferson's character.The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-85760738934424242072012-02-04T17:35:08.360-06:002012-02-04T17:35:08.360-06:00Great stuff. The right stuff, to be sure. These ...Great stuff. The right stuff, to be sure. These guys were special. Thanks for the insight, Ray.David B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-89662900148256074952012-01-17T13:54:31.320-06:002012-01-17T13:54:31.320-06:00Give him credit: Adams adeptly engaged the old &q...Give him credit: Adams adeptly engaged the old "50 letters" ploy as well as falling back on the "national security" excuse! Wise, true. Cunning, perhaps. Capable of out-maneuvering spry Abby? Hardly.<br /><br />Good stuff, Ray. Thanks.The Horse Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00744653404345594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-31407961635063252762011-12-18T17:57:52.753-06:002011-12-18T17:57:52.753-06:00Some people continue to think this way even today ...Some people continue to think this way even today -- http://gma.yahoo.com/mich-residents-receive-letter-calling-christmas-lights-pagan-194443043.htmlRay Grasshoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14255628100297737824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-69912446769734974492011-11-16T05:30:16.312-06:002011-11-16T05:30:16.312-06:00I take issue with the comprehensive tag and prize ...I take issue with the comprehensive tag and prize for McPherson's book. He barely mentions and to me ignores any actions that took place in the West, ie. west of the Mississippi River.grandpa mckeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06551495742908360015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-60058127131187347982011-10-21T08:39:12.819-05:002011-10-21T08:39:12.819-05:00I think the same perception problem is what is cau...I think the same perception problem is what is causing chaos in the stock market. A result of the instant gratification generation.Ken Vickersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-511177070140396181.post-79623830788793982132011-10-21T06:53:04.518-05:002011-10-21T06:53:04.518-05:00Re: Slave treatment, in several 1st hand accounts,...Re: Slave treatment, in several 1st hand accounts, Germans who left the oppression of 1820-1850s Germany, commented that after living in Texas for years, that the slaves in Texas had it better than they did "in the old country." Slaves were given food, clothing, and had Sunday off to work at other jobs for pay.Fayetteconoreply@blogger.com