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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Battle of the Bulge: Language Error May Have Saved Lives

December 16, 1944: The Battle of the Bulge begins. December 19, 1944: My father and Kurt Vonnegut, two intelligence scouts in the 106th Infantry Division, are captured by advancing Germans. Looking through a phrase book, my father screams, "Nein Scheissen," thinking he's asking them not to shoot him. He's actually saying, "Don't shit." That little mistake may have saved their lives.

(First Published 2007). 

3 comments:

Blah Society said...

How?

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Don't Shit" as opposed to "Don't shoot" made the supermen laugh.

Blah Society said...

That's what I figured - wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.