Quote:
Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch
Given the choice of learning knots and sewing on buttons for a badge or manning a AAA site shooting down (attempting to, at least) enemy aircraft at the age of 11 I know which I would choose. Every time, add highlighting the family for trouble, and the naivety from politics, brutality, and every other negative ideal and that just reaffirms it.
That said, I don't know what other jobs the youths did. They may sway me away. But on the surface, I would have joined. That doesn't make me, my family, and especially my children Nazis. Unless Gudrun Himmler was my daughter, was was just a Nazi through and through.
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There were lots of different branches. My grandfather for example started in the motorcycle HJ where they could ride actual small cc motorcycles (who could afford that for their children back then?). But he disliked some of the people there so he went to the "flying HJ" and flew SG38 gliders. Again who could afford flying in the 30ies? So in addition to the pressure by the authorities the kids were also definitely motivated to join as they could do things there which were usually way out of their parent's income.