08/11/2025
LILI MARLEEN !!!!! 🇺🇸🙏🇺🇸
In September 1944, Anthony "Tony" Nardone (B-17 navigator) was on his 9th mission over Berlin, when his bomber got attacked by several German fighters. This airman from Rochester, New York, later recalled: "We were exposed on three sides. Our aircraft was so badly damaged. All the control cables were gone, one engine was out, and we had no control. So I had to bail out". Tony landed in northeast Berlin and was rapidly surrounded by angry German civilians. They had pitchforks and bats, and wanted revenge for the Allied bombing raids. But suddenly, a young man in a German uniform arrived on a bicycle and told everyone that Tony was his prisoner. "I think I kind of owe my life to him" said Tony. The American airman was then sent to a German POW camp where conditions were tough, but more than 77 years later, Tony remembers a beautiful moment where enemies forgot the war.....the length of a song. That moment happened when a German guard was playing the accordion. The song was "Lili Marleen", a German love song which was very popular in Europe during WWII. When Tony said he played the guitar, another guard walked away and came back with a guitar for him. The American prisoner then joined the German guard, and together, they played the song "Lili Marleen". For a brief moment, there were no guards, no prisoners, no enemies, just a group of men enjoying the sound of music. Tony was later transferred to another camp in Germany, and was liberated by Russian troops in May 1945. He then returned to Rochester, New York, and started a family. This true American hero is now 98 years old.
