anarrogantworm

What was your experience during the reign of Ceaușescu?

What do you remember from the time when his regime came to an end?

Thank you for posting those pictures.

I had a good friend who was a German about your Opa's age during the war and was drafted into the labor army and later the anti-air auxiliary in Eastern Germany operating 20mm cannons. I like to imagine that somewhere in your pictures he might be there. Ever meet a man named Vern Morrow? He would have been about mid/late teens during the war like yourself and with a similar vocation, he was also a troublemaker :P worth a shot!

My actual questions:

1. My friend told me that their gun crew was mainly captured Russians overseen by a couple young Germans. Was this the case for your crew as well? If so can you tell us a little about them or your gun crew's situation? My friend seemed to have forged quite a bond with his fellow crew members (despite obvious barriers to friendship) and was very sad to tell me that most fled the advancing Red Army as the war went on, fearing reprisals.

2. What's your funniest personal story from that time? I know this sounds strange, with the war being such a heavy topic, but you were a young man and young men always try to have fun despite the circumstances. Soldiers tend to be a bit of a goofy bunch at times. My friend's memoirs are dotted with funny experiences during the war, mostly having to do with his many run ins with authority.

Thank you very much for the reply. I can see what you are saying about Ceaușescu not seeming so bad at first. I think many dictators appear that way at first, at least to some portion of the places they rule.

It must have been very difficult not being able to trust anyone and having to work so hard. It is scary to imagine that anyone could be an informer and change your life forever based on something you said or believed, or even a lie. It sounds very much like the novel "Nineteen Eighty Four". I am glad people can express themselves now with the regime gone.

I saw you visited Canada. Thank you for visiting my country, one day I hope to come visit yours!

I asked a Chinese guy on reddit about that the other day. He told me that he has heard of them but believes no one was killed, and even so they should have all been killed. I don't think he represents all Chinese people but it was interesting to say the least.

It's right here in my comment history. I kinda figure the guy has an agenda though.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my questions and for your replies!

I understand your response to the second question, no two experiences of war will ever be close to the same. My friend's memoirs were not nearly all fun stories, many of them being very upsetting. My friend certainly spent a lot of time paying for his unusual behavior and most would have preferred he not be so foolish in wartime.