The
WWII Veterans’ Foundation:
This book is dedicated to all soldiers who
lost their lives during WWII. $3.00 from every book sold will
be allocated to the WWII Veterans’ Foundation, to be
shared equally by Canadian, American, and German veterans.
"R
and I read this thrilling first hand account of history
unfolding and we are in awe of Willi’s courage, his
commitment and endurance in the world’s greatest conflict.
What a guy! Such stories must be told! I can just imagine
the countless hours of research that were needed to produce
such a comprehensive tale. R. and I salute you Willi."
R and L.P. Sydney, Australia
It
is a gripping saga and hard to put down until finished.
I admire Willi for his integrity and compassion, as well
as his courage. It also sets the record straight.
Dr. W.W. Sydney, Australia
Michelle
Kaiser’s graphic description of the Russian winter lets
you see the vastness of the steppes and their hopeless isolation
from civilization. You can feel the cold, hunger and pain these
soldiers suffered. It is as if a movie is rolling in front of
your eyes. This is a gripping, riveting saga that you can’t
stop reading.
H.S., Salzburg, Austria
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Willi:
Diary of a Young Lieutenant
By Michelle Kaiser
Ever
wonder what it was like ‘on the other side’?
Willi Kaiser was a 19-year-old linguistic scholar and soccer star.
Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was drafted into the
German army in 1941 and thrown into WWII. He trained as a heavy
weaponry gunner and became a highly skilled marksman. Then he
was promoted to the rank of officer and served under the command
of iconic panzer leaders General von Kleist and General Heinz
Guderian. Willi described how he survived the terrible Russian
winter. Many of his men and friends lost their lives. Later, south
of Stalingrad, Willi was gravely wounded. Then, while being evacuated
in a Red Cross air ambulance, he was shot down by Russian fighter
planes. The human tragedy of Stalingrad and the enormous loss
of life suffered by the VI army are described in detail.
After a lengthy recovery, Willi joined the Department of Intelligence
and went on spy missions throughout Europe. He happened to be
stationed in his home town of Hamburg during the bombing known
as Gomorrah and watched his home destroyed. A year later, on July
20, 1944, while working as a translator at HQ West in Paris, an
attempt was made on Hitler’s life in Rastenburg, East Prussia.
It was feared that conspirators would infiltrate and attack the
Paris HQ as well. Willi was assigned the delicate task of identifying
suspects.
Sadly, Willi’s injuries from Stalingrad forever destroyed
his promising soccer career.
In 1954 Willi immigrated to Canada. Five years later he became
a Canadian citizen.
Voice
Recording: VALHALLA Publishing is especially privileged to
have obtained a recording of Willi Kaiser reading from the chapter
On the Banks of the Volga. He also sings his own version
of The Song of the Volga from Léhar’s operetta
Der Zarewitch. This disc is included with the book.
Valhalla
Publishing invites readers to send their comments to valhallapublishing@sympatico.ca
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