First thought about the Title of the article disgused me, until I remember what my father told me about being in Munich near the end of the war. He was in Gen Patch’s 7th Army and later in Gen Patton’s 3rd Army.
Late in the war Dad was 20 miles into CZ when they were pulled back and allowed the Russians to take Prague.
Then he was sent in a group of men who were to stop the theft of supplies (truckloads) near Munich. It took 2 nights and that was ended.
While they were in Munich, his platoon was assigned to oversee a group of Nazi prisoners of War who were in work group to cut timber outside Munich. The timber was cut around Dachau. Dad saw it not long after it was liberated. The citizens of Munich were forced to see what Dachau actually was, so there was no dispute about what happened there.
My father’s platoon (adopted) employed a young Russian orphan to help as a translator (he ate and slept with the GI’s). He helped a lot. He spoke Russian and German and some English. He would ride with Dad in his jeep. They named the young Russian orphan (probably around 14 years old, my dad was not yet 21 at end of the War) “Little Joe”. They outfitted him with a GI uniform that supply fitted for him. There were no insignia’s.
Dad got permission from the CO to bring him home after the war. They had the papers made up and CO okayed. My father and my Mom were looking forward to Dad coming home and being married. My Mom has told him it was OK to bring Little Joe home. (she was from Minnesota, she and dad met in DC while dad was waiting for his convoy to be made.) Dad decided that Little Joe might be some trouble and complicate his marriage. Little Joe had seen some horrible things and hated Nazi’s. Dad never finalized the adoption papers.
Mom and Dad never mentioned Little Joe for more than 20 years. Then one day Dad told my brother and I, You don’t know, but you might have had another brother. Then he explained.
My father died a little over 5 years ago at 95. I put Little Joe’s GI jacket on top of his coffin. I had never seen it before we were getting ready for the funeral. We looked in their cedar chest and found it. At first it was a puzzle, it was so small.
So, my point. Most Gi’s at end of WWII considered Russians were our allies. And German’s (Nazi’s) as our enemy.
Most GIs ideas about Russia would have come from the positive propaganda about them as allies that we put out during the war, Russia was an enemy but useful during the war once they broke from the Nazis and focused on their own defenses, although they continued their 1930s/1940s conquests for empire, and we were never friends, once Germany was defeated the focus switched to defending the free world from Russia.