https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-ferencz-last-living-nuremberg-prosecutor-dies-age-103/

It's so sad to me to have to see the "last WW2" header be so common these days.

I'm impressed by how long some of them made it. Anyone I ever really knew who I could talk to about the big one is long gone. And there were some I never got to talk to. Maybe a few still around who remember the era. But it doesn't necessarily make me sad; it's really cool what they passed on to us, and I'm grateful for the stories I heard.

Most of the WWII guys I knew, I was too young to know how to talk to them or appreciate their stories…if they would tell. Many would not.

For example, our rural mailman was almost dead. It wasn't until after he passed that someone casually mentioned that he lost his hearing on Omaha Beach.

Speaking of survivors, the last Doolittle Raider died in the last year. I am in awe of him surviving such a dangerous mission, and then continuing to serve for another 3+ years of war, and then surviving another 70+ years

Canyon,

You know a lot about history and, more importantly, how to find out info about history. I'd like to check on something my 75 year old cousin just told me - that our granddad was in charge of security at Nuremberg.

It's possible, but it's also the first time I had heard that. My granddad at the time was a Colonel in the Army, had been Provost Marshall of San Antonio, after the war was in charge of securing the transportation of the Allied currency that replaced the Deutsch Mark (he was assigned von Hindenburg's rail car!), and also was instrumental in forming the Army's MP corps. I also know that my grandmother, her sister, and my dad attended some part of the trials.

My cousin knows a lot more than I do about my grandparents because he's older and was also raised by them, so I am reluctant to immediately discount his memory.

Is there any way to corroborate or disprove that recollection, or is it a question that will remain unresolved due to the cloud of time?

By the way, my granddad was born in the US but only learned English after entering school. He was born and raised in a German community just outside NY City. When he was a teenager, his dad sold their farms up there and moved to Texas and became a cotton farmer. My granddad only finished the 7th grade, was later drafted during WW I, and then went through OCS to become an officer. Although he never attended college, my granddad was as dedicated to Texas A&M as anyone. All three of his sons attended. Two graduated and the one that didn't died as a Marine Corp pilot during the war.

Another historical tidbit was that Frank Bostrom and his wife were close friends of my grandparents. As you know, Bostrom was one of the B17 pilots who arrived at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack and then later flew McArthur out of the Philippines. My grandparents used to drive up to Maine regularly to visit the Bostroms.

Sorry for the personal digression. I hope that you have some good directions to point me toward.

I appreciate the compliment, though I'm not sure your faith is justified.

At one level, I would guess that the Nuremberg trials were well documented. On the other, I could see how they might want to keep secret the names of some involved, for their own safety.

Maybe aalan94 will chime in, or you can contact him, he's not a WWII guy, but he knows how to research.

One thing that makes me think the stories could be true. If he was a native German speaker, it would be smart to have him involved with the security. Either as a translator, or simply to eavesdrop on the prisoners.

If you don't have his service records from WWII, you can get them from the government. It might take a long time, but worth a shot. Of course, lots of records were lost in the 1974 fire, but maybe you will get lucky.

https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

In the meantime, talk to as many of your living relatives as possible. Get their stories, even if you think they may not be accurate. Between family legends and official records, maybe the truth can be found.

Thanks. I have a vague recollection that someone else in the family tried unsuccessfully to get his records, but could well be wrong. I'll try again.

And good suggestion on the family thing, although everyone of the right age is dead now. My dad died 2 years ago and during his last years he frequently lamented that he had not asked his grandparents more questions about their lives. For example, one of his grandparents attended A&M in 1878 as a 14-year-old freshman but was kicked out later in the year for killing someone in a knife fight. What were the details and backstory on that? Family lore also has it that his wife was an orphan raised in Shreveport by Jefferson Davis's brother and his wife. Family lore, however, is only occasionally accurate.