16 years after escaping deportation, Nazi guard found hiding in Michigan

JTA ^ | 7-7-03 | Matthew E. Berger

[Fred Mertz]

Why does something that happened 60 years ago bother you?

[teancumspirit]

Fred, do you read? 1000s of gaurds were at this camp, and only about 10% were known by name. Would you know the little ones or the big fish? All it takes for evil men to conquer, is for good men to do nothing. WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU? Like cathern says, I like most people I meet here, but you are pushing it. Remember some of those people were in their 70s also. At least this scum has had good life.

[gedeon3]

Do you know what happened 60 years ago? Do you know exactly what this man's involvement was? There is only one find to find out: a trial. If guilty, he should pay. And yes, I think his age should be taken into account.

[Cacique]

Slight correction to the above. Starting around mid 1943 the Waffen SS began experiencing personnel shortfalls and using "racial" criteria began inducting "drafting" men into the lower ranks. While specialised units such as the SD, Gestapo and Death's head execution squads were strictly voluntary by 1944 the distinction in the waffen ss was blurred as it had expanded beyond it's capacity to attract volunteers. By 1945 probably half of the lower ranks (not the officers) in the waffen ss were conscripts.

[veronica]

Not to me. I'd suport prosecution. The problem seems to be the attitude in many of the former Communist countries. Largely, they don't want to prosecute, old ghosts, current leaders. I'm sure there are those crying out for it, but they're not loud enough. Post more of their petitions here, you have a sympathitic audience. Of course, that had nothing to do with the article, did it.

Oh come now. It's right out of the anti-semite playbook. The Holocaust is brought up, and then on it's heels, Commies, read Jews, cause ya' know the Jews kinda brought the Holocaust on themselves, what with the fact they were a bunch of Commies, etc. You get the point.

[U S Army EOD]

Plus a large percentage of the SS wasn't even German. I can't believe how people are trying to lump everything together. I would suspect that this poor guy had no more control being in that camp than the inmates. Even some of the Jews in the camp were basically trustees who did the dirty work for the SS. What a horrible time to live. We really need to look at the life this guy lived after the war which seems to be a decent one according to his neighbors.

[rmlew]

Quite true. However, the Nazi in question joined the SS in 1943. Res ipsa loquator.

[30-06 Springfield]

Look at what happened to the Japs - heck they were 1000 times as bad, but McArthur protected them. The emperor didn't get tried? He should have been hung at the very least.

[U S Army EOD]

Kind of makes you think that a certain group is behind the prosecution and that is really what it is all about. Kind of like "Hey guys, look we are on top now and we will never let you forget"!!!!

[30-06 Springfield]

What a horrible time to live. We really need to look at the life this guy lived after the war which seems to be a decent one according to his neighbors.

The holier-than-thou attitude that so many FReepers seem to show sticks in my craw. None of us experienced what those poor bast*rds went through. Children telling on their parents, wives on husbands, families of mixed marriages being torn apart.

Then we have FReepers (I sure hope the "S" in SJackson does not stand for someone as noble as Stonewall)come along and try to equate the standards of today with the situation of yesterday. Makes me want to go puke. Leave the guy alone - let him live out the last few years of his life in relative peace. They need to go spend their time and energy trying to root out some real terrorists. Oh, but I forgot real terrorists have real guns and other dangerous things and someone might get hurt, they feel safe picking on a 77 year old man.

[Courier]

You are so right.

I know that whenever someone asks me what is wrong with FreeRepublic, I always say,

Not enough sympathy for poor Nazi bastards and all they've suffered.

[SJackson]

The holier-than-thou attitude that so many FReepers seem to show sticks in my craw. None of us experienced what those poor bast*rds went through. Children telling on their parents, wives on husbands, families of mixed marriages being torn apart….Then we have FReepers (I sure hope the "S" in SJackson does not stand for someone as noble as Stonewall)come along and try to equate the standards of today with the situation of yesterday. Makes me want to go puke. Leave the guy alone - let him live out the last few years of his life in relative peace. They need to go spend their time and energy trying to root out some real terrorists. Oh, but I forgot real terrorists have real guns and other dangerous things and someone might get hurt, they feel safe picking on a 77 year old man.

Actually, it’s the standards of today and the far left perspective that’s the issue. I dropped out of the thread when the Jewish conspiracy cracks and invectives as to my background came up, but you weren’t here, so for your benefit I’ll repeat myself. I’m assuming you’re commenting on the facts of Leprich’s situation, rather that any wish for favoritism over his background.

We have immigration laws in this country, poorly enforced, but I’m not only in favor of enforcing them, but strengthening them.

I’m sure Leprich was nice to his wife, kids, dog et all when he entered, but he was barred from entry, so he entered illegally in 1952. I understand that other posters feel the prohibition against concentration camp guards entering the US is an abuse, it’s irrelevant. You need to change the law. It’s illegal.

On entry, he lied. He could have gone to Sweden, Canada, or a number of other countries, he came here and lied, as he did in 1958.

Nice guy, I don’t know. Millions of illegals here as we speak, most of them looking for a better life. You’re a liberal, you’d say, let them stay. I feel bad for their plight, but I’d deport them.

He was found out and his citizenship was revoked in 1987. Interestingly, rather than appeal, or return to his homeland (don’t know where that is) where his actions might be investigated (what he did at the camps is not an issue in the US), he fled to Canada, as did many draft dodgers a couple decades before. I opposed amnesty, but clearly in the name of consistency many posters on this thread supported it

Interestingly, while we have little information about what he did in the camps, we do have this one piece, he fled prior to deportation. That’s like jumping bail, it’s called consciousness of guilt, which a reasonable person can use to infer guilt, in the US. Flight is a Marc Rich stunt, give this guy a pass, you must love the Rich pardon, he wasn’t even convicted and spent 16 years on the lam too. Of course, I opposed the pardon too

Anyway, he spent 16 years as a fugitive, illegally crossing the border to Canada and illegally renewing his drivers license. Lots of people do that, to Canada and Mexico. I oppose that, but the practice apparently has it’s supporters here.

He got caught, and now he’s going to be deported, expedited, without appeal (that’s the consciousness of guilt thing), for entering the country illegally in 52, and skipping out in 87.

I understand the liberal position that he’s a nice guy, and he didn’t mean it (though none of us know that), but despite the fact that there are thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) in similar positions, I’m quite comfortable having the law enforced.

If you want to comment on our areas of disagreement, or your ideas about amnesty for illegals, that’s fine, but I have no in discussing the fact that I’m Jewish or the “Hey guys, look we are on top now and we will never let you forget"!!!!” horseshit. If you endorse that crap, hey have a nice life. Sorry immigration law sticks in your craw. Write your Congressman and ask him to open the borders.

If you think we have a right to control our borders, you might reconsider your position, because this guy's illegal entries over 16 years is same thing several of the 9/11 terrorists did, over a shorter period, with the exception of the fact that he was a fugitive. Give him a pass, tell the guys on the border it doesn't matter, that's your choice, not mine.

[Fred Mertz]

Leave the guy alone - let him live out the last few years of his life in relative peace.

You're going to be on everyone's $*it-list too. I'm glad that I'm not alone on this one.

[U S Army EOD]

Don't worry Fred, we got plenty of room in the bunker for 30'06. I don't think there are but four of us. But anyway I think we are all in the best company of the thread.

[af_vet_1981]

Can't the guy reform? After 60 years?

Why are you shilling for a Nazi ?

[af_vet_1981]

Leave the guy alone - let him live out the last few years of his life in relative peace.

Give him a fair trial and a fast hanging, just like John Mohammed.

[SJackson]

Give him a fair trial and a fast hanging, just like John Mohammed.

Actually, as I noted some time ago in 212, he doesn't have to worry about hanging, or any other punishment. That's an issue (actually, non-issue) for the nation he's deported to. As an illegal all we do is deport him, even though that sticks in the craw of the many amnesty supporters on the thread.

[flashbunny]

"This man has done nothing wrong lately. Take it from there poorboy."

Yeah, unfortunately things were slow for him. No nazi death camps to run.

[tiki]

hiding out in a secret compartment underneath the stairs of his former Michigan home.

Maybe just a little bit of poetic justice here.

[SJackson]

hiding out in a secret compartment underneath the stairs of his former Michigan home...Maybe just a little bit of poetic justice here.

Yes, in that and the fact that he could have gone to Canada in the first place, lived his life, no harm (locally), no foul.