Jews Exact Revenge on Nazis in Real Inglorious Bastards (VIDEO)
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Franz Hofer Franz Weber Fred Mayer Hans Wijnberg Jews Min Sook Lee Nazis OSS Quentin Tarantino Real Inglorious bastards
A screenshot from the documentary.
What would you do if you had escaped your oppressor, if you were offered a new life free of the perils of old? It’s probably not a hard question to answer; you’d get on with that new life, you’d try to forget the past and build something secure, something safe and removed from that former life of persecution. But then what if someone offered you the opportunity to avenge that same oppressor. You’d have to relinquish that new life you’d only just begun to build, but if all went well you could play a part in the defeat of your former foes.
It’s a difficult decision, but one that was easily answered for the three men at the center of Min Sook Lee’s new documentary, The Real Inglorious Bastards, which is to air on Canada’s History channel in November.
The story centers around Hans Wijnberg, a Jew, who fled Holland as a teenager for America with his twin brother, leaving behind a family that would eventually perish at the hands of the Nazis. There’s also Fred Mayer, a German Jew who fled to America ahead of the start of the war. Both joined the American army as soon as they could. Because of their backgrounds they were identified as being exceptionally valuable to the Army’s overseas operations and signed on to the OSS, the Office of Strategic Service, an intelligence agency set up during World War II. After an intense period of training they were sent to Europe.
“These were young guys, they were Jewish refugees. Their families had been destroyed and they were living in immigrant communities in America. Hans came over here at 16, so you can imagine the weight or the burden in terms of what they had to fight for,” Ms. Lee told The Algemeiner.
“When I spoke to Hans I asked him if his being Jewish was the reason he felt the need to do what he did. At first he waved away my question, but eventually I got him to admit that it played a large role.”
Their mission was to penetrate behind enemy lines into Tyrol, a region of Austria. But they needed help and so they recruited Franz Weber, a POW and Tyrol native, who was a former officer and conscientious deserter from the Austrian Wehrmacht. Eventually they achieved their goals, contributing greatly to the erosion of power of that region’s Nazi Party Chief, Franz Hofer.
Ms. Lee was originally asked to make a film by Canada’s history channel on the OSS. After extensive research she found her story, that of project Green up, the codename for Franz, Fred, and Hans’s mission. She had not seen the 2009 film by American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, which depicts a group of officers rampaging through the European countryside enacting revenge on Nazis. “I immediately went to watch it when I was asked to make this film. It was a cartoon,” said Ms. Lee.
“What I was looking for was a story of camaraderie, a story of individuals to band together to fight a known evil and working against the odds.”
Eventually, she was drawn to this remarkable tale of an Austrian Catholic and two Jews who, through sheer determination and an unwillingness to surrender to fate, were able to enact revenge, and more importantly, ensure defeat.
“I did my job, but it was my war,” Fred Mayer says during the film. Mayer ultimately secured the surrender of Hofer through a remarkable series of events.“I hated the Nazis and I loved America. It was as simple as that. It was a good feeling that we won.”
Ms. Lee told the Algemeiner that the film is in contention for a Jewish film festival in Toronto and her hope is that, if it is selected, it will expose the story to a larger segment of the Jewish community. As of now it’s only scheduled to appear in Canada, but distribution to America and Europe is in the works.
Trailer:
9:19 pm
In the summer of 1957 I was part of a gathering of High School students from the capitol cities of West European countries who were invited by the citizens of West Berlin to spent three weeks as their guests. It was called a “Jumelage” or a reaching out by the younger generate of West Berlin to the younger generation of West European countries who had suffered under the NAZI German occupation in WWII. The only ones who responded to this invitation were those from the countries of the Netherlands and Belgium.
The most ironic part of our stay was the fact that during the first week we and our German counterparts were staying at this beautiful white mansion located on the Wansee Strasse on the shore of the beautiful Wansee Lake. The eerie part was that the whole property was surrounded by a heavy wrought iron fence and a heavy gate. We never knew the sinister history that mansion held and nobody told. That’s where I celebrated my 17th birthday.
Not until the PBS station here in Phoenix showed the video series about “Shoah” did I learn about the “Wansee Conference” and the “Final Solution” of 1944. It was quite a revelation.
In a self study about it I have come to know a lot about the Holocaust and what led to it. It is ironic that there are many, especially among the younger generation, who don’t know or who do not want to know.
I have come to the conclusion what led to this most heinous crime committed by mankind.
Religion is good for the mind, the soul, the body and the spirit. Used to kill people in the name of God or Allah makes religion a tool of the devil. Ironically, those who lecture about the NAZI era and the “Holocaust” make no mention of the origin of the cause leading to it. Yet many books have been written about it.
The most recent one I read taught me a lot about the underground resistance in Berlin from the rise of NAZIsm till the end of WWII, called the “Red Orchestra”.
10:17 pm
I was moved to tears by Mr. Makers recounting of the torture he endured, and his positive outlook on life today. He deserves the Comgressional medal if anyone does. An amazing man. I’m also proud to see that it is a Canadian production.
1:20 am
Throughout history, the Jews have suffered unspeakable evil at the hands of those seek to destroy them. However, no one can destroy those whom are GOD’S chosen. All the world will very soon see when GOD executes HIS perfect justice against those who oppose HIM. The Jews are the greatest warriors the world has ever seen. Their greatest weapon is the FIRE OF GOD!
4:41 am
And yet, we are allowing the beginnings of the same thing with Gaza, allowing hundreds of missiles a week to strike with no protection. Israel needs to re-occupy Gaza, and hunt down the Nazis of today.
2:59 am
How is this story even remotely comparable to “Inglorious Bastards” – and how is this about revenge? If I understood correctly – this was a mission that happened DURING the war and it was about helping to BRING DOWN the nazis. I think revenge and never forgiving destroys both sides – but taking care of a threat as it is happening is necessary – and from what it sounds like – this was the latter.
9:17 pm
I was at Fort Breendonk in Belgium in 1983. This is a horrible place where the Nazis tortured and killed members of the Belgium resistance. It was also a waystation for Jews being sent to Auschwitz..The guard that day in 1983 told me that when the Nazis fled..the women who collaborated with Nazis were fed alive to dogs.
8:54 pm
After the war, when my father was liberated he went back home met some Jewish guys who also survived and beat up and killed at least 1 member of the iron guard. My uncle was liberated from aushwitz , he use to tell us how captured guards where put in an enclosed area and survivors could do with them as they pleased. And they did.
6:37 am
Our lost millions must be avenged no matter what it takes. When we are in comfort in our homes with plenty to eat, warmth, and clean beds to sleep in, our memories must go back to those who perished and had none of this.
NEVER FORGET. NEVER FORGIVE.
9:52 pm
Don’t get mad, get even.
4:39 pm
The mixed up story of the Jewish Americans agents who fought nazies in Germany and who are some-how depicted as the “avengers”. The unhuman Tarantino`s film is in line with the anti-semitic TV Viasat serial: “nazi hanters” where Jews are the evil avangers and tried to kill 6 millions (!)of civil Germans.We,Jews say that Germans will never forgive us for the Holocaust.
10:12 pm
They are right.
10:27 am
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