veteran’s corner

Tom Krabbenhoft

If you are hungry this Sunday the FM Legion Riders are doing their breakfast: biscuits and gravy, eggs plus more. And the killer bloody mary and mimosa bar will be up. All proceeds to benefit honor flight. It will be held at the Moorhead American Legion starting at 830am. A free will offering is always the price.

 1 September 1939, marks the beginning of WW2. Germany’s invasion of Poland kicked off the biggest conflict in human history. The Russians signing the mutual non aggression pact plus Great Britains tepid Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declaring “peace for our time” on 30 September 1938, after signing the Munich Agreement. The United States at that time was as well armed and manned as the Salvation Army.

Essentially with the wink-wink, nod-nod to Hitler, the hapless Poles were tossed under the bus. The invasion as are most conflicts was a build-up of failed diplomacy.

Hitler when he took power in 1933, one of his first acts was to sign a non-aggression pact with Poland in January, 1934. This was VERY unpopular among Germans even those that supported Hitler. It allowed Poland to keep parts of West Prussia, Poznan and Upper Silesia. These were given to Poland under the Versaille treaty after WW1. Another diplomatic disaster.

Hitler though being permanently crazy was also sometimes brilliant. He signed the pact with Poland in order to prevent a French and Polish military alliance. The German military in 1933 had not been built up yet. Hitler took as many diplomatic pillows as he could find to allow Germany to hyper build it’s military.

Germanys invasion of Poland served as the perfect subject for an experimental military tactic called “Blizkrieg” or lightening war.

Blitzkrieg was/is a blue print for all militaries to follow since it’s a symphony of destruction where Air, Armor, Artillery and Infantry assets all combine to maximize terrain gains and battle wins.

The conductor for this symphony was General Heinz Guderian. You could make the comparison between Guderian and Patton for their innovative armor tactics. My opinion, Guderian was better grounded and cared for his troops much more. He fell from Hitler’s favor when he withdrew his troops on the Russian front (normally a death sentence). He would not stand for a needless slaughter. He is one of the VERY few German Generals to argue with Hitler and live to talk about it.

He was SO respected by Hitler and others he was brought back in 1943 to be inspector General for the armor Corps.

Guderian in historical terms is a bit of a ghost. He is very deserving of study, books and maybe even a movie about him.

Questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact me at 11btwk@gmail.com.