Field Marshalal Erwin Rommel's Son, MAnfred
Nov 25, 2022 08:15:29 #
I believe it was in the late 1990s when we decided to spend Christmas Holidays in Thailand with a friend who was working as a missionary there in a town on the coast called Pattia, Thailand. While we were there, we visited several different orphanages, and other missionaries, and the main objective was to help in trying to reach mainland Chinese. Many hundreds of Chinese vacationed in Thailand, and it was an objective of our group to attempt to reach out to them as a group.
We were billeted at a hotel that was popular with the mainland Chinese. Each day, in the morning we would set up a card table and offer as a free gift a package of a New Testament, a CD of how to start a church, and several other tracks about Christianity. We would offer these to all who would accept them. We had memorized enough Mandarin Chinese to communicate our intent to give them a gift.
One day, one of the other missionaries said “Bob I understand you are in Rotary, would you like to attend a meeting?” I immediately accepted. This club met in a new hotel near the beach in the evening. It had even had a special room with six separate walls that have enough closet space to store all the banners, podium and such and was called the Rotary Room.
About an hour before the meeting, there was a ‘cocktail hour’ and I was privileged to meet Manfred Rommel son of Erwin Rommel, The Desert Fox of the German Army in World War II. We had a pleasant conversation before the meeting.
About a week ago when I had gone for a doctors’ appointment and was signing in, I heard them call for a Rommel. I turned around but the patient had already gone. I didn’t see him, and inquired among others waiting and was referred to a lady about my age seated in the waiting room.
She said yes, her name was Rommel, but it was spelled Rommul. We visited for about 30 minutes, and she said she thought her husband’s family and Manfred Rommel’s family might have had some connection in the distant past.
Below is more information of Manfred Rommel.
Background and family[edit]
Rommel was born in Stuttgart and entered service as a Luftwaffenhelfer (air force assistant) in 1943 at age 14, serving in an anti-aircraft battery. He considered joining the Waffen SS, but his father opposed it. On 14 October 1944, he was present at his parents' house[2] when his father was led off to be forced to commit suicide for his alleged complicity in the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, which was publicly portrayed by the Nazi leadership as a death resulting from a war injury. In February 1945, Rommel was dismissed from air force service and in March was conscripted into the paramilitary Reichsarbeitsdienst service. Stationed in Riedlingen at the end of April, he deserted just before the French First Army entered the town. He was taken prisoner of war, was interrogated by (among others) general Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, and disclosed the truth about his father's death.[3]
Post-war life and career[edit]
In 1947, he took his Abitur while studying in Biberach an der Riß and went on to study law at the University of Tübingen. He married Liselotte in 1954 and had a daughter named Catherine.[4] After a stint working as a lawyer, in 1956, Rommel entered the civil service and later became state secretary in the state government of Baden-Württemberg.
In 1974, Rommel succeeded Arnulf Klett as Oberbürgermeister (equivalent to Mayor) of Stuttgart by winning 58.5% of the votes in the second round of elections, defeating Peter Conradi of the Social Democratic Party. He was re-elected after the first round of elections in 1982 with 69.8% and in 1990 with 71.7% of the votes. As the mayor of Stuttgart, he was also known for his effort to give the Red Army Faction terrorists who had committed suicide at the Stuttgart-Stammheim prison a proper burial, despite the concern that the graves would become a pilgrimage point for radical leftists.[5][6] In defending his decision against criticism from within his own party, Rommel said "All enmity must end at some point and I think in this case it ends with [their] death"[7]
While Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart, Rommel began a much-publicised friendship with U.S. Army Major General George Patton IV, the son of his father's World War II adversary, General George S. Patton, who was assigned to the VII Corps headquarters near the city.[8][9] Additionally, he was also friends with David Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, the son of his father's other great adversary, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, a friendship viewed by some as a symbol of Anglo-German reconciliation following the War and West Germany's admission into NATO.[10]
In a 1996 celebration at the Württemberg State Theatre, Manfred Rommel received the highest German civil distinction, the Bundesverdienstkreuz. In his speech, Helmut Kohl put particular emphasis on the good relations that were kept and built upon between France and Germany during Rommel's tenure as Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart. A few days after this distinction was given to Rommel, the city of Stuttgart offered him the Honorary Citizen Award.[11] He risked his popularity when he stood out for the fair treatment of foreign immigrants, who were being drawn to Stuttgart by its booming economy.[12] As mayor, Rommel also exerted "tight control over the city's finances, reducing its debt and enabling a radical makeover of the local infrastructure, especially roads and public transport [while working]...to foster Franco-German relations."[12]
Rommel's political position is described as tolerant and liberal.[13]
Outside politics[edit]J
Having retired from politics in 1996, Rommel was still in demand as an author and stirring speaker, despite suffering from Parkinson's disease. He wrote various political and humorous books. He was known for his down-to-earth and often funny sayings and quotations. Occasionally, he wrote articles for the Stuttgarter Zeitung.
Rommel collaborated with Basil Liddell-Hart in the publication of The Rommel Papers, a collection of diaries, letters and notes that his father wrote during and after his military campaigns. He was awarded several foreign awards including the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the French Légion d'honneur, the US Medal of Freedom and the highest grade of the German federal order of merit.[12] He died on 7 November 2013, survived by his wife Lieselotte and his daughter Catherine.[14] Just Sayin…RJS
We were billeted at a hotel that was popular with the mainland Chinese. Each day, in the morning we would set up a card table and offer as a free gift a package of a New Testament, a CD of how to start a church, and several other tracks about Christianity. We would offer these to all who would accept them. We had memorized enough Mandarin Chinese to communicate our intent to give them a gift.
One day, one of the other missionaries said “Bob I understand you are in Rotary, would you like to attend a meeting?” I immediately accepted. This club met in a new hotel near the beach in the evening. It had even had a special room with six separate walls that have enough closet space to store all the banners, podium and such and was called the Rotary Room.
About an hour before the meeting, there was a ‘cocktail hour’ and I was privileged to meet Manfred Rommel son of Erwin Rommel, The Desert Fox of the German Army in World War II. We had a pleasant conversation before the meeting.
About a week ago when I had gone for a doctors’ appointment and was signing in, I heard them call for a Rommel. I turned around but the patient had already gone. I didn’t see him, and inquired among others waiting and was referred to a lady about my age seated in the waiting room.
She said yes, her name was Rommel, but it was spelled Rommul. We visited for about 30 minutes, and she said she thought her husband’s family and Manfred Rommel’s family might have had some connection in the distant past.
Below is more information of Manfred Rommel.
Background and family[edit]
Rommel was born in Stuttgart and entered service as a Luftwaffenhelfer (air force assistant) in 1943 at age 14, serving in an anti-aircraft battery. He considered joining the Waffen SS, but his father opposed it. On 14 October 1944, he was present at his parents' house[2] when his father was led off to be forced to commit suicide for his alleged complicity in the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, which was publicly portrayed by the Nazi leadership as a death resulting from a war injury. In February 1945, Rommel was dismissed from air force service and in March was conscripted into the paramilitary Reichsarbeitsdienst service. Stationed in Riedlingen at the end of April, he deserted just before the French First Army entered the town. He was taken prisoner of war, was interrogated by (among others) general Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, and disclosed the truth about his father's death.[3]
Post-war life and career[edit]
In 1947, he took his Abitur while studying in Biberach an der Riß and went on to study law at the University of Tübingen. He married Liselotte in 1954 and had a daughter named Catherine.[4] After a stint working as a lawyer, in 1956, Rommel entered the civil service and later became state secretary in the state government of Baden-Württemberg.
In 1974, Rommel succeeded Arnulf Klett as Oberbürgermeister (equivalent to Mayor) of Stuttgart by winning 58.5% of the votes in the second round of elections, defeating Peter Conradi of the Social Democratic Party. He was re-elected after the first round of elections in 1982 with 69.8% and in 1990 with 71.7% of the votes. As the mayor of Stuttgart, he was also known for his effort to give the Red Army Faction terrorists who had committed suicide at the Stuttgart-Stammheim prison a proper burial, despite the concern that the graves would become a pilgrimage point for radical leftists.[5][6] In defending his decision against criticism from within his own party, Rommel said "All enmity must end at some point and I think in this case it ends with [their] death"[7]
While Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart, Rommel began a much-publicised friendship with U.S. Army Major General George Patton IV, the son of his father's World War II adversary, General George S. Patton, who was assigned to the VII Corps headquarters near the city.[8][9] Additionally, he was also friends with David Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, the son of his father's other great adversary, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, a friendship viewed by some as a symbol of Anglo-German reconciliation following the War and West Germany's admission into NATO.[10]
In a 1996 celebration at the Württemberg State Theatre, Manfred Rommel received the highest German civil distinction, the Bundesverdienstkreuz. In his speech, Helmut Kohl put particular emphasis on the good relations that were kept and built upon between France and Germany during Rommel's tenure as Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart. A few days after this distinction was given to Rommel, the city of Stuttgart offered him the Honorary Citizen Award.[11] He risked his popularity when he stood out for the fair treatment of foreign immigrants, who were being drawn to Stuttgart by its booming economy.[12] As mayor, Rommel also exerted "tight control over the city's finances, reducing its debt and enabling a radical makeover of the local infrastructure, especially roads and public transport [while working]...to foster Franco-German relations."[12]
Rommel's political position is described as tolerant and liberal.[13]
Outside politics[edit]J
Having retired from politics in 1996, Rommel was still in demand as an author and stirring speaker, despite suffering from Parkinson's disease. He wrote various political and humorous books. He was known for his down-to-earth and often funny sayings and quotations. Occasionally, he wrote articles for the Stuttgarter Zeitung.
Rommel collaborated with Basil Liddell-Hart in the publication of The Rommel Papers, a collection of diaries, letters and notes that his father wrote during and after his military campaigns. He was awarded several foreign awards including the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the French Légion d'honneur, the US Medal of Freedom and the highest grade of the German federal order of merit.[12] He died on 7 November 2013, survived by his wife Lieselotte and his daughter Catherine.[14] Just Sayin…RJS
Nov 25, 2022 09:19:38 #
Nov 25, 2022 09:40:17 #
Good read, RJ. Thank you for posting. My dad was an avid student of WW2 history and an admirer of its strategists and tacticians, especially the Desert Fox. So much so that he wanted to name me Erwin. My mom shot that one down in a hurry!
Nov 25, 2022 09:52:05 #
Robert J Samples wrote:
I believe it was in the late 1990s when we decided... (show quote)
Thank RJS that was a historical story about Rommel life history, “well read” 👍🏽👍🏽
Nov 25, 2022 11:18:44 #
It was a good thing that Rommel was on vacation when D-Day was planned to happen. The landing would have only been worse, and more costly. Just Sayin...RJS
Nov 25, 2022 20:05:24 #
Nov 26, 2022 13:32:14 #
Robert J Samples wrote:
I believe it was in the late 1990s when we decided... (show quote)
R J .... You certainly have gotten around, and always have made good use of your opportunities to meet and learn. Thanx again for one of your great historical posts.
Nov 26, 2022 13:42:08 #
Jim Kay
Loc: Franklin, Virginia
Robert J Samples wrote:
I believe it was in the late 1990s when we decided... (show quote)
Interesting. Thanks!
Nov 26, 2022 14:15:33 #
nutz4fish wrote:
R J .... You certainly have gotten around, and always have made good use of your opportunities to meet and learn. Thanx again for one of your great historical posts.
Well, flattery will get you anything! Ha! I am much more like Forrest Gump, it just happened that way. Just Sayin...RJS
Nov 27, 2022 14:12:42 #
Robert J Samples wrote:
I believe it was in the late 1990s when we decided... (show quote)
Bob, thank you so much for that!
Nov 27, 2022 14:23:29 #
Robert J Samples wrote:
It was a good thing that Rommel was on vacation when D-Day was planned to happen. The landing would have only been worse, and more costly. Just Sayin...RJS
And I understand they did not want to wake up the "Little Corporal" because they feared him. Hitler saved many Allied lives by controlling his military by his astrology charts and other crap. Lucky for us. He also fell for our head fake as to what area we would land on D-Day. Kept a Large Panzer force in reserve instead of releasing them to D-day landing spots. Just about everywhere Hitler stuck his nose in the Military business it turned sour, again helped us.
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