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The Truth, the Feud, and a Life Well-Traveled — Living Well on Less While Retired
Growing up, one lingering family feud centered around what “really” happened to the German leader after WWII.
After being drafted into the U.S. Army, my father saw his first marriage end after World War II.
Afterward, he married my mother, and I was born.
My mother was convinced the German leader didn’t die in the bunker.
She believed he escaped to Argentina, deceiving soldiers and an entire nation.
Years later, thanks to the U.S. Army and my ex-husband, I lived in Germany for a year. Resolving that family debate was always in the back of my mind.
But none of the German people who spoke English wanted to talk about WWII, and I learned German schools avoided the subject entirely. (At least during that time)
My ex-husband suggested I drop it — it wasn’t good for relations. Still, we embraced our time in Germany, choosing to live among locals instead of military housing.
We traveled extensively in Europe, and during that time, my husband bought me a VW Bug. People called it a “baby Porsche,” but real Porsches zooming past me on the autobahn told a different story.
