I had a neighbor, now deceased, who served aboard a German u-boat in WW II. Hans' boat was sunk by the Brits, who sailed away, leaving the survivors behind. An American ship happened along, plucked them out of the water, and brought them to the U.S., where he spent the rest of the war as a POW. After being repatriated to Germany, he brought his bride, Marta back to the U.S. They had a son, who became an officer in the US Navy!
Hans and my dad spent hours at our kitchen table, drinking beer and swapping war stories. I'm so grateful for such memories.
The ending of "Enemy Below", and the mutual respect displayed by the two captains, always gets to me. And that ^ is why.
