Commemorating the Lost Airmen of Buchenwald

This afternoon at 1:30 German time, we will be commemorating the liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp.  Present will be politicians of various levels, a ton of international media, tourists, guests and of course, survivors. 

There are fewer and fewer of them every year.  The eldest is a gregarious gentleman from Norway, 95 years young. 

 

Among the group are three of the 168 Allied Airmen who were shot down over France, connected with the French resistance, were betrayed to the Gestapo by a collaborator and sent to Buchenwald.

These three gentlemen will be unveiling a plaque commemorating the experience of these 168 Allied Airmen.  While the main ceremony will see representation from the EU and local representatives of the various nations whose nationals were held in Buchenwald, I don't imagine we'll see anyone from the Canadian, American, British, Australian or New Zealand embassies.  Which is sad.

Here, though, you can read at least my grandfather's remarks.  I will try to post more content and photos when I can.

ED CARTER-EDWARDS SPEAKING REMARKS

KLB/Allied Airmen Plaque

13 April 2014 (Buchenwald)

　

Today, April 13th of 2014 (lucky 13) we are witnessing the second miracle that the Allied Airmen who were incarcerated in Buchenwald have experienced.

The first miracle was our timely removal from Buchenwald by the German Airforce. 168 of us had been shot down over France and betrayed to the Gestapo by a Belgian collaborator in the French Resistance. Stripped of our dog tags and labelled as spies and saboteurs, we were first sent to Fresnes prison and eventually, Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

 

As horrific an experience as this was, we knew we were The Lucky Ones - many of our friends spent years in this awful camp. Everyone who endured and survived Buchenwald carries deep scars from the experience.

We Lost Airmen of Buchenwald were forced to endure a second wave of torture.

 

For 70 long years we tried to tell our stories and share our experiences with our militaries and governments, but no one would listen.

Friends and strangers alike doubted our experiences. Our politicians weren't interested and historians felt they already knew the whole story of Buchenwald - and we weren't in it.

Fortunately we Airmen have friends who know that the story of the Lost Airmen of Buchenwald, as non-Europeans who faced the same horrors as they did, matters.

This brings us to our second miracle.

After 70 years fighting for recognition, we finally have our chapter of the Buchenwald Story recorded officially with this commemorative plaque.

The Buchenwald song says: "how can I forget you, when you shall be my fate" - this plaque now permanently etches our story into the history of this place, tying our fates together.

This plaque would not have been possible without the commitment, passion and compassion of our friend and documentary film-maker Mike Dorsey.

I first met Mike at the Elephant Hotel in 2010, he was making a film about us, The Lost Airmen of Buchenwald. He and I got to talking.
 

When Mike heard about the personal devestation we felt from being told to repress our experiences by our own government, he said "that´s not right."

He felt, as we do, that our experiences matter, that they hold lessons for future generations.

Mike Dorsey spearheaded a campaign to raise funds and support for this plaque, and worked closely with the Memorial to make today's unveiling happen.

While this plaque is the realization of our second miracle, there is still work to be done.

We have made our governments hear our story and have partnered with friends with the Memorial and the IKBD to preserve that story, but there is a third miracle still to be achieved.

By each of us survivors telling and sharing our stories at these commemorations, at school visits and with plaques and interviews, we are ensuring the horrors and lessons of Buchenwald are passed on to the next generation.

Hopefully, today's youth will take these lessons to heart so that our past doesn't become their future.

That would be our third miracle - a future where there are no Concentration Camps, no genocides and no war except in stories like ours.

Looking at the world today, it's clear we have a long way to go.

We should not and cannot lose hope - if today teaches us anything, let it be that miracles are possible.

Thank you.

The Divine Right of Politicians

Toronto Liberals are facing a major dilemma over whether or not to support Olivia Chow, the popular and controversial NDP MP, in her campaign for mayor.

I find this whole exercise fascinating.

Political people, many of whom make a living setting agendas and pushing narratives through advocacy/Government Relations work, are always getting their knickers in a bunch over which candidate to support for leader.

They should know better.  In fact, they do know better.  Look at where Rob Ford is at right now - he's Mayor, but has been sidelined by Council.  He's only got one vote - it's not the fact that he's Mayor, but his ability to build coalitions around issues that could set him above.  

The Prime Minister is just that - first among equals.  If it weren't for the tough, Machiavellian manipulations of the back-office teams PMs or Premiers put in place, that primacy would actually function the way it was intended to, with agendas needing the confidence of individual Members of the House to gain traction.

We have a reality where the inner court of leaders are to an increasing degree reinforcing the notion that The Leader Is Always Right - the buck stops with them, yet when something goes wrong it's always someone else who goes under the bus.

Sadly, we've got some leaders that have actually started taking this sycophanthy to heart; Stephen Harper truly believe he can do no wrong.  Rob Ford actually believes he's the best Mayor since Salvor Hardin.  These sorts of leaders are increasingly demanding unquestioning loyalty and falling in to the Imperial Trap:

"We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality... We're history's actors... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."

When you feel holding office means that you are the only legitimate voice, the only rightful decision maker, we have a problem. 

The backroom operators who look to play King maker don't really believe that any one leader is the infallible, though that's the image they will try to present when they pick their horse.  Often for them, it's the ability to pull the strings of an unquestioned leader that motivates them.  

These sorts of mandarins are insisting that the leader is right in all things, that loyalty is owed by the Party faithful to the leader without question and that, as the leader is of such importance, it would be selfish of volunteers to expect any of their time.  One does not expect God to appear before them, nor question the divine plan; one's role is to pay, pray and spread the word without question.

In the mix may be a desire to have a leader who shares their vision, but frankly, if more attention was spent educating voters on the issues and working to engage people to a higher degree, it would matter less who was in charge; the people would know what they want and be able to contextualize it.  They'd also be capable of justifying their demands through evidence-based arguments and feel confident in bringing their voice forward.

Which, after all, is how our democracy is supposed to work.

Instead we have increasingly powerful leaders supported by increasingly manipulative power-brokers creating niche-solutions for core constituencies while the majority of Canadians increasingly wash their hands of the whole affair.  Loyalty has ceased to be for the cause, has migrated through The Party and is now being walled up inside the PMO or the Party Office.

Politics isn't supposed to be about beating the opposition; it's supposed to be about winning the support of the people.

It's time our leaders - all of them - start being a bit more cautious about the tailors they surround themselves with and a bit more critical of their own opinions and the choices they make.  Through social media and citizen journalism, the veil of secrecy they used to wrap themselves in is becoming transparent and the people don't like what they see.

Open Government couldn't be coming at a better time.