Gerhard: Yes, for me the SS was the natural choice, as I was in the Hitler Youth since 1933. It was ingrained upon us to serve Germany as soldiers; it was the law then as now. When war broke out in 1939 I was about finished with school and in 1940 decided to volunteer for the SS. I was allowed to start the entrance exams, and passed them all; it was still hard to enter the SS at this time. The main point of my decision must have been in 1940, we had a group of SS men come speak to us about how the SS would let us fulfill our duty to Germany and the National Socialist state. I knew then I wanted to be a part of the nation's elite. Things were different back then, it was not a bad thing to be a National Socialist and in the SS, both were held in high esteem by the people. The party had done its part in showing that this new ideal was working for the people and they supported it almost to the person. Of course after the war it was a different story, the victors forced everyone to turn on National Socialism and anyone who was a party member.

What was your training like in the Waffen-SS?

Gerhard: In 1940 there was a heavy emphasis still placed on marching and spit and polish. We had to look good and carry ourselves as bodyguards of the movement. I remember we had higher up generals and party leaders talk to us, as the war was new. They stressed how important this fight was to Germany's existence, and that we fight with courage and honor. The war was going well, we had beaten France, had Britain on the ropes, and you would never know Germany was at war. In Berlin it was as in peacetime. Clubs, restaurants, hotels, theater, fairs, and shows were going on like before. We called this time the phony war. Some cities had been bombed, Berlin also, but not with severe damage. My basic training was in Posen and was very hard. We had to rise very early, our dorm was inspected then we set off to drill. We would eat, then drill some more. We had inspections everyday it seemed. Our instructors were combat veterans from Poland and the West.

They were hard on us but fair, I remember them preaching that attention to the little things will keep you alive, and your comrade next to you is your bodyguard. We trained during the winter months which were not comfortable at all. There is nothing like crawling in muddy fields with it hardly above freezing. We also had weapons training on the K98 [Karabiner 98], MG 08 [Maschinengewehr 08] and the MG 34 [Maschinengewehr 34], plus Czech weapons as well. Once my training was completed I was assigned to Lichterfelde and assigned as a guard to the Reich Chancellery. This was a very big honor for such a young recruit, and was the final step in my training.

Did you ever meet Hitler or Himmler?

Gerhard: Oh yes, I was only there for a few short months, but the Führer was present and would greet us. He always saluted us as he entered or while greeting a head of state or dignitary. I remember him very fondly, he knew us by name and remembered birthdays and anniversaries. He was a leader, yet one of the common people. I remember Reichsführer-SS Himmler the same way, while I was at Lichterfelde he visited once for a lunch and dinner hosted in his honor. Many leaders and generals were with him in attendance I remember. He gave a short speech in which he hinted that war would soon break in the east against Jewish Bolshevism. In Europe at that time there was great fear of the Soviet Union, like today. They had been taking land in Europe and threatened a worldwide revolution. Finland, Poland, the Baltic States, and Romania all had to cede to Russia. Today they claim it was to protect them from Germany, but the victor gets to write history.

I was back then, as I still am today, convinced Stalin was going to attack us to take the west for Bolshevism. Himmler was speaking in this way, that Europe must survive the onslaught of this plague created by Jews. He said this was the greatest threat our race has ever known, and if not stopped it will destroy the moral basis of western man. He was very smart to be able to see this, and raise the forces to fight it. It was because of this I asked to join the LSSAH in a combat medic role, and was granted my request. I was on duty when the Führer left for the east; he gave one last greeting to me that day. I was then also off to join the unit in preparation for what would become Barbarossa.

What was fighting like in the beginning of the invasion of Russia?

Gerhard: First off I was sent to Czechoslovakia in May 1941, but as soon as I arrived the new division Adolf Hitler was ordered into Poland. We received a warm welcome from the civilians, who came out to greet us as we entered into our billets. One mother was heard to say that the town needed to lock up their daughters as the men were very handsome from Hitler's bodyguard. This was true, as no sooner did we get settled in than the girls came out to watch our drills and maneuvers. I was with the motorcycle recon and became lost once and a very pretty Polish girl kindly guided me back. We trained with the new units that came to us, and by June 21st we were mostly at division strength, but still had problems with supply and equipment. However, the war did not wait and we attacked Russia and the LSSAH was soon part of the fighting. I remember the Russian soldier was tough and tenacious. He had to be respected to be defeated. It is not true we thought of them as worthless animals, they were soldiers just like us, and we were told to respect them or they would defeat us. I was a medic and treated many wounded Russian soldiers and the civilians who were unlucky to get caught up in the fighting. I remember the Russians burned everything when they retreated. They killed animals, poisoned water with oil, destroyed trains, even destroyed whole towns and cities to deprive us of shelter. It also left us to take care of the populations.

I saw our Red Cross and welfare organizations come in to help them later on. We did not treat them badly or think of them as inferior as they say now. Seeing the crimes some of the Russian soldiers committed hardened us, it made us become immune to emotions later on. But we did our best to treat them well and to make a good impression. The Russians would defend their lines with savage tenacity, not yielding until they were out of the fight. They were known for playing dead, then firing on us from behind, I lost a comrade like this. He was shot in the back by a wounded soldier. It taught us to be very vigilant and to guard each direction. I was badly wounded in August right outside a German settlement that had been ravaged by fanatic Bolsheviks. We came to liberate them, but the fighting was severe and many had been shot down. I was taken from the field and given good care by Ukrainian nurses, and then sent back to Germany. I was then selected for training in the tank regiment of the LSSAH but fate called me to better endeavors. I was also selected to attend the officers training at Braunschweig and entered into this wartime class.