WWII vets, not many left, on either side.

I have a friend in Germany, 84, I have known him since I was in the Air Force and later worked in Germany late 60's and early 70's.  A well positioned guy in the local town, with a nice family.  I knew some of his kids a little bit.  I was not a perfect specimen in those days.  Years later I learned he, and another family that I knew well, had shielded me from a planned police raid looking for illegal smoke, they would not have found any.  Never kept it in the house, but in a rock wall on a hiking trail, I got a lot of hiking done in those days.
I have since seen him a couple of times, last was about 6 years ago, and about once a year hear from his daughter.
My friend was a child soldier during WWII.  During the last year they allowed, I'm not sure maybe they even drafted, boys under 18, some stories report 14 year olds.  Luckly for him, he was in the smaller army, the one facing the Americans and Brits.  Most the German units, about 4 to 1, faced the Russians,  if they survived that meat grinder, only about 10% survived surrender and camps.
He was in less than a year before surrendering in France and put into a French POW camp.  He told me it was hell, the French abused them badly, revenge, he's not a lover of the French.  One day a group of American officers visited the camp.  He could speak English, so he burst in among them and begged to go with them as an interpreter.  They were impressed and the next day a jeep came for him.  For the next few years he worked for Americans as they set up bases in Germany after the war, first as a POW, then hired to continue.  He is very proud of this work, loves Americans, belongs to a  German/American friendship club.
The man is a jewel. I wish him well.