A WWII story of a brave and unusual escape

Former inmate recalls daring escape from Auschwitz

NOWY TARG, Poland – With every step toward the gate, Jerzy Bielecki was certain he would be shot.

The day was July 21, 1944. Bielecki was walking in broad daylight down a pathway at Auschwitz, wearing a stolen SS uniform with his Jewish sweetheart Cyla Cybulska by his side.

His knees buckling with fear, he tried to keep a stern bearing on the long stretch of gravel to the sentry post.

The German guard frowned at his forged pass and eyed the two for a period that seemed like an eternity — then uttered the miraculous words: "Ja, danke" — yes, thank you — and let Jerzy and Cyla out of the death camp and into freedom. [...]

Read the whole story. Follow the link, and look at the photo slide show. An unusual story, with an ending that's probably not what you would expect.
     

War, Suicide, Japan & Europe; the Lessons

From Takuan Seiyo at the Brussel's Journal:

The Last Samurai and Europe's First Suicide

This is an interesting look at the History of modern warfare, starting with the Russo-Japanese war, the first "modern" war ever; and it's effects on World War I, World War II and it's Japanese suicide bombers, and the waning of Western European culture today. Believe it or not, it all ties together, in this fascinating and detailed article. I won't do excerpts here, because you need to follow the whole story for the context to make sense of it.

You'll enjoy it if you like history, and it ends up making an interesting case for why things are the way they are today.


Related Links:

Europe, Japan, and collective psychosis: what ails the West, and how it might be healed

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