It’s one thing to read about the harsh brutalities of war in a textbook or online, however, it’s a whole other experience to listen to the stories of someone who actually risked their own life and fought for their country. I remember as a young kid talking to my great grandfathers about their experiences in the army and the immense hardships they faced, and the one word that always came to my mind was grit.
Recently, a German veteran from World War Two, named Helmut Lemke, came to our class and talked to us about his experiences being drafted to the SS at a young age and fighting on the Russian front. Through willingly sharing his story with us we were able to gain some insight into some of the tough hardships he came to face throughout the war and after it was over.
Mr. Helmut Lemke in 1944.
Mr. Helmut Lemke with his sister in 1944.
Mr. Helmut Lemke in 2010.
Our P.L.P. class posing for a group photo with Mr. Helmut Lemke.
As an assignment our class had to come up with a few main concepts that best describe the terrifying experiences he faced as a young soldier and on his dangerous journey to find his mother. Ironically, after hearing Helmut speak I couldn’t help but think of any words other than true grit to describe his painstaking and emotional story.
Grit, as defined by the online dictionary, is described as “courage and resolve; strength of character.” When helmet was talking about his 720km journey into enemy territory, this accurate description of being courageous and having a strong character really rang true for me. He had no idea if his mother was even alive, yet he risked his life, time and time again, and kept pushing on no matter what. I think this speaks to great depths of who he his is as a person and the types of values that he lives by. I know if it were me in his shoes I would turn back, most others would as well.
Below is a podcast that I put together, using opinion, with my good friend Michael Fourie. In it we discuss the rest of Helmut’s intriguing war story and how it strongly relates to the theme of grit. I hope you enjoy listening.
Click the image below.
