Sweden honors WWII hero with commemoration day

[formercia]




Associated Press – Fri, Jan 4, 2013


STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden will honor its World War II hero Raoul Wallenberg with an annual commemoration day in recognition of his achievements in saving thousands of Jews from the Nazis in Hungary.
Wallenberg, who would have turned 100 this year, was on a diplomatic mission in Hungary when detained by Soviet authorities in 1945. He is believed to have died in captivity, though the time and circumstances of his death remain a mystery.
Wallenberg is credited for saving at least 20,000 Jews by giving them Swedish travel documents, or moving them to safe houses. He was also instrumental in dissuading German officers from massacring the 70,000 inhabitants of Budapest's ghetto.
Swedish Culture Minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth said Friday that the country will earmark Aug. 27 as an official Wallenberg day.


http://news.yahoo.com/sweden-honors-wwii-hero-commemoration-day-113734981.html

A true mentsh.

[Enthusiast]

1. He was courageous!......nt

[No Elephants]

2. 20,000 + 70,000. Very impressive.

We know Oskar Schindler because of Speilberg. Schindler supposedly saved 1,100, which is also impressive, but I wonder why I have not heard of Wallenberg before.

Sweden is certainly doing the right thing.

[formercia]

3. There are many who will remain unknown

Many survived the War and many died in the Camps.

The Family of a woman I dated for several Years was saved by the Turkish Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. Her father was a Jeweler and the Turkish Ambassador was one of his customers. When the Germans invaded, the Ambassador gave him a Turkish Passport, so he was able to leave the Country. He returned 5 times to Occupied Europe and got his relatives out with Turkish Visas. The guy had Balls. He spoke perfect German and was able to browbeat the Border Guards whenever they asked for papers. He got everyone out except his fiancee and Grandmother. They were never heard from again.

[No Elephants]

4. So sad. So many sad stories.