I was born in 1934 into a middle-class family with two older siblings, my sister, Eleanor (Lore), and brother, Fritz. Our home was in a smaller town of about 25,000 located in Wuertemberg on the River Neckar. My dad for the thirty months preceding my birth was out of work and mom was the breadwinner through that period with Dad doing odd jobs when available. My dad was a locksmith by trade and amateur gunsmith. I have written this book for my children and grandchildren, all of whom where born in Canada, as I wanted them to have a record of their heritage to pass on to their offspring. I wanted them to have a view from the other side that experienced the ravages of war from the loseras side. I hope I succeeded in trying to be impartial in respect to world events but especially in regards to WWII when our nation was the enemy of the world and let the reader make his own deduction.