Free Event – D-Day Conneaut 2024
Conneaut Township Park
Conneaut, Ohio 44030
Location: La Fiere Bridge/German Camp – Occupied France (see map below)
Local historical Author Cynthia A. Sandor, will be displaying her mother’s original Hitler Youth items from WWII.
Cynthia A. Sandor, will be showcasing her book, “Through Innocent Eyes – The Chosen Girls of the Hitler Youth,” based upon her mother’s secret journal from the time she was in the League of German Girls (BDM). Spanning fifty-eight years from 1931 to 1989 and set against the epic panorama of Austria and Poland during WWII, “Through Innocent Eyes” is a sweeping story of family values, love, and building camaraderie that illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: through the eyes of an innocent child in the Hitler Youth. After the war, Gertrude meets PFC Robert Sandor from the 87th Infantry Division. Robert speaks a broken German and Gertrude barley understands English. Gertrude’s siblings translate every word, even Robert’s marriage proposal. Robert and Gertrude marry in the bombed out Dom in Linz and move to America.
About “Through Innocent Eyes – The Chosen Girls of the Hitler Youth”
In 1938, ten-year-old Austrian born Gertrude begins her indoctrination into the Hitler Youth. By age 13, the Reich’s Ministry of Science, Education, and Culture select Gertrude to participate in an 8-month long elite educational program called Landjahr Lager (Country Service Year Camp). The curriculum focuses on building the girls’ full individual potential to becoming a productive member of society. In her journal, Gertrude records her vivid memories recounting her experiences during Country Service Year Camp in Seidorf, Niederschlesien with her roommates, Ellie, Nelly, Steffi, and Maria. Thoughtful, moving, and entertaining, Gertrude’s personal accounts will dispel many misconceptions and skewed perspectives of the League of German Girls.
About the Author
Born into a military family, Cynthia’s passion for history led her to establish BDM History Publishing. She lives in Conneaut, Ohio. Currently, she is immersed in researching her upcoming book “Walking in My Father’s Footsteps,” a project inspired by her father’s valiant service in the 87th Infantry Division.”
Other autographed books available for sale include:
- Through Innocent Eyes – the Chosen Girls of the Hitler Youth – Paperback $30 – Hardback $40
- In den Bann gezogen – the German edition of Through Innocent Eyes – Paperback $30 – Hardback $40
- BDM History Collection – The Young Girls Achievement Badge – $10
- Girls in Service: The Official Handbook of the Bund Deutscher Mädel – Paperback $30 – Hardback $40
- Reflections – The Story of Dorothy Swanson: Wife of an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper – $15 (limited supply of the first edition will be available).
Gertrude and Robert
X = Book Author Location – La Fiere Bridge/German Camp – Occupied France – on bottom of hill in front of the German Camps – sorry no wi-fi – cash only
(*) Free tickets for D-Day Conneaut 2023 – https://www.ddayohio.us/ – this year the organizers are asking all visitors who wish to attend the event to register on their website.
Leave a Reply