The Silver Ring

THREE DAYS LATER

Three days later, returning from the site to our hotel in Frankfurt, Hilde's cell phone rang. She picked it up and took the call. When she finished she told us that the body I had found was identified and the family was being notified.

It was the ring, Hilde said. The identification tags were great, but the ring cinched it for the family. She continued, the solider's name was Curt Hoch. He was from Dresden. His brother Otto was killed in Russia. He had been part of the Panzer Division. Curt's mother was killed during the bombing of Dresden shortly after he left for the front. There is a sister, Katrin, who is still alive.

The German Red Cross and Ministry of Defense contacted her. Its amazing how fast they tracked her down. She is living in Berlin. She told the authorities that her mother had given Curt the ring before he shipped out so that he would always remember his brother. Katrin has been searching for seventy plus years. She told the Red Cross that her mother had sent her to a relative  in the country just before the bombing in Dresden. Katrin said, she thought her mother had a premonition about her death, so she sent Katrin out of the city.

When the war ended, the family knew that Otto was dead, and that Katrin's mother was dead, but they did not know for sure about Curt.  A missing person report was filed by the family. Once she reached adulthood, Katrin continued to search. She thought he, perhaps had been taken prisoner to Russia or that he was injured, and never returned home. He just made a new life wherever he was.

In the meantime, Katrin married, had children of her  own, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Katrin, the next of kin, requested that Curt's remains be buried in a military cemetery.

The family chose the Golm Military Cemetery. This was in Meklenberg/Vompomern state. The cemetery itself was on an island. The island was part in Germany the other part in Poland. It was the nearest military cemetery to when Curt's remains were found.

Hilde was obviously getting more information. We saw her nodding her head as she talked to the officials in Berlin.

When she finished talking, she told us that there was a request from the family that the team who had found Curt be present at the burial. The program  officers in Berlin thought this would be an excellent idea. We were directed that on the following Saturday, we should go to Golm rather than the battlefield site.

Is it far, I asked?  Not really Leo replied, no more than two hours. You will get to see the Baltic coast it is really beautiful, maybe even some frauleins on the way to the beach. You know the swimsuits here are pretty revealing. I  would not want to be responsible for a hot blooded young man, but..it would be good he laughed punching me in the shoulder. The crew laughed and I turned red.

When I went back to the hotel room that night, I once again felt the presence of someone else in the room. It was Curt. You are going to meet my family,  he said. Yes, I replied, is there anything I should say or do. No, Curt replied, just go on your instincts. You have compassion, I think that is all that is necessary.

Curt, I asked, I know this maybe a delicate subject, but I always thought when a person died, they pretty much stayed where they were. You seem to have a lot of freedom. I mean to come back and make a request, but to keep coming back. Ja, he said, I am very fortunate. But why the special treatment?

It is a long story, but the short version is this, he began. All boys were required to be in the Hitler Youth. I was no exception. I was given a job, as part of my duties, to work in the railway yards  in Dresden. Railcars would be attached to trains going to different directions and locations. We all saw the trains heading east. They were packed with Jewish people. We were told they were being resettled to the east. The rumor was that they were being sent to extermination camps in the east. This really bothered me, but I really could not do anything, until  one day I got a chance.

There was a railway box car loaded with Jewish people, young and old, men and women. There were also clergy, Lutheran, Catholic, priests, nuns, ministers. They too had run afoul of the authorities and were being sent east as well. I knew some of the people, they were Dresdeners. They had never done anything wrong. They were good people. The train they were supposed to be on, was heading east. There was also a sealed train going to Switzerland. It carried all sorts of items of value to be stored in Switzerland for the duration of the war. The train was sealed, in that  it would not stop at the border, but go directly to Zurich. I directed that the box car be attached to the sealed train heading to Zurich.

There was some bread and lard available. There were also several jerry cans of water. I was able to load these into the car. I told the people to be quiet and to stay put until they got to Zurich. Once at the station, they were to get away from the train as soon as possible. Then request asylum from the Swiss. It was the best chance they had to survive.

The people were overjoyed. I was being blessed by everyone. The people, all of them said they would pray for  me. They did what they said. When I died and was judged, I was told that my action, which would have meant death if I was caught, had earned me a spot in Heaven. However, I could make one request, and at the right time and place it would be granted.

You know the rest, the right time and  place was with you. I would have as much time as I needed to get everything taken care of that needed to be done. There you have it. I was blown away. Judgement, Heaven, special favors. O.K. Curt, I said. Give me some guidance, if I start to go wrong. Don't worry, he said, you will do fine. Just remember, he laughed, I will be watching you.