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 “He alone who owns the youth gains the future.” 
Adolf Hitler

- A Tale of Two Boys - (1).jpg
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A Tale of Two Boys
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On 19 March 1945 a group of 20 boys from the Hitler Youth, all of whom had been awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for acts of bravery, were paraded in the gardens of the Reich Chancellery and presented to Hitler. It is an iconic image and the last recorded public appearance by the Führer. Have you ever wondered who the boys were and what they had done? What did Hitler say to them as he patted their cheeks? What happened to them after? This short history delves into the story of the youngest two, 12-year-old Alfred Czech (front boy in picture below) and 16-year-old Wilhelm 'Willi' Hübner (second boy in the picture below).

Hitler Youth Parade - 20 March 1945, Alfred Czech (front) Wilhelm 'Willi' Hübner (second)
Video related to my History article - A Tale of Two Boys.
Deutsche Wochennau Newsreel 755 dated 22/03/1945 - Record of the Hitler Youth Heroes Parade - starts 2 mins 6 secs in - You can see Willi Hübner speaking - 3 mins 29 secs in. Translation below. This was the last newsreel to come out of Germany. My thanks to Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/1945-03-22-Die-Deutsche-Wochenschau-755/

Transcript of Willi Hübner's words from the video below:
 
 "When the Russians were closing in on Lauban, I reported for voluntary duty as a messenger to the combat commander. My job was to take dispatches to the individual command posts. I also frequently took provisions and panzerfausts up to the front line under fire. I carried the panzerfausts in a wheel barrow under enemy fire." 

Wilhelm Hübner and Alfred Czech - Gallery - select any photo to see full size photos

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