Willy Wenger, WWII combat veteran, holds his just published memoir at a book presentation in Gleichenberg, Austria on May 12th, seven days after turning 90 years old. His wife Wilma stands at left, Frau Bürgermeisterin Christine Siegl at right.
"BERLIN SPRING 1945" IS A NEW TITLE PUBLISHED BY THE AUSTRIAN CARINA VERLAG. It relates Wenger's experience as a young soldier from the Steiermark, full of ideals and loyalty to his country who, before his pilot training was completed, was placed on the front line at Seelow Heights for the defense of Berlin. With his company, he was forced to retreat back to Berlin, where the Battle of Berlin was raging. How this 19 year-old survived several months of chaotic conditions and a badly wounded foot to find his way back to his hometown of Leoben is a powerful and worthwhile contribution to the history of the the war from the German side.
The book is basically what I have published, translated into English, in the Wenger Family Archive here at CarolynYeager.net, but with some differences, Wenger says. It features a forward by the well-known Brigadier-ret J. Paul Puntigam, Chief of Infantry and Commandant of the Jägerschule. Here is a video of him speaking at the Press Club in Graz in 2013 on the topic “We need reform.”
