Seriously there’s any of these left alive ??? (18 year olds at end of war would be 74+18= 92 !!!)
Those commercials for christian help for jews in russia (alleged “holocaust” survivors) make them out to be ~4 years old during WW2 - which would have been instant death if ever sent to a concentration camp (so most likely weren’t).
Its getting to the tail end of the people involved.
It’s troubling from many angles. On the one hand, this is an old man. On the other hand, he participated in crimes that should have been punished long ago. His tranquil longevity is stolen. On the other hand, the particulars of the crimes he participated in are highly material. Other than being a guard, what did he do? Being a guard involved keeping people in a concentration camp, where they were murdered and enslaved. But rebelling against this role and actively freeing them would have resulted in his death. So, how to judge this man. He’s a criminal, but also a victim. Some leniency is in order, but had he turned himself in for justice in 1946, rather than hiding for 74 years, I would have an easier time being lenient. Hiding is symptomatic of guilt, just like running. Let the judge decide. It’s a tough case.
My father is now 90 and was too young to serve in the US Army in 1945.