What would
life have been like as a young man during World War II? In America,
does it matter that you're a Mormon and therefore opposed to any war?
Spence Morgan saw how the girls looked at the soldiers, especially the
paratroopers, returning from boot camp on their way to the war. So
he quit school and joined the army to become a paratrooper.
In Germany,
if you don't participate in the war, something must be wrong with you.
You must be a traitor! Dieter (pronounced Dee-ter) Hedrik wanted the approval
of the leader of the Hitler Youth. He wanted the camaraderie with
the top ranks of the Hitler Youth. Even when his father tried to
tell him that he was learning untruths, Dieter refused to listen.
He thought of his father as a traitor. Finally, the Hitler Youth
were called to serve the Fatherland! Dieter pushed himself and his
men (really just boys) hard. Their reward was a visit from the Fuhrer
himself who presented them with medals! Then Dieter met Shaefer, a veteran
corporal who had seen enough of war. Dieter’s dogged devotion to
the Third Reich did not falter, however, until he had to go into battle
and see boys and men killed. This was where he met Spence.
