It's your son [letter from a British aviator to a German mother]

Title

Language

English

Source

I (10&11) October-November 1949

Year

1949

Subject

Soldiers' letters

World War II personal narratives

Mothers

World War II casualties

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

The article is a letter written by a British pilot to the mother of the victim he killed during the war. He told her that he did not want to kill her child and it was part of his duty to protect his countrymen. The mother replied to his letter and told him that there is nothing to forgive and that she said, “women, war is a reality, for all men are our sons. Yet, perhaps, women more than men are to blame for this world war. We did not know that the children of the world were our child

Fulltext

jured in line of cluty is subject to authorization by the Sec. of the Int. (Sec. 2607 (s) & (x). Adm. Code.) G4. Salaries in municipal capitals at higher than the authorized srnle are subject to the approval of the Sec. of the Int. (Sec. 2607) (t) & (x), Adm. Code) GG. Surveys or exHmin:1tions to determine advisability of making improvements in the special provinces costing more than five hundred pesos shall not be commenced \vithout the previous approval of the Sec. of the Int. (Sec. 2607 ( z), Adm. Code) 66. Collection of tolls on provincial ferries is subject to the approval of Sec. of the int. (Sec. 2608, Adm. Code) 67. Condemnation proceedings to be authorized by the Sec. of the Int. (Sec. 2609, Adm. Code) 68. More than four convocations of mayors is subject to approval of Sec. of the Int. (Sec. 2610, Adm. Code) 69. Provincial officers in the special provinces may be suspended and removed for cause by the Secretary of the Interior, subject to review, in case of removal, by the President upon appeal. (Sec. 2613(a), Adm. Code) 70. Municipal officers may be suspended by the provincial governor and removed by the majority vote of the provincial board, subject to appeal to the Sec. of the Interior. (Sec. 2613 (b), Adm. Code) 71. In no case shall payment of salary during the period of suspension be made to a suspended officer or employee who has been reinstated, , unless such payment is expressly ordered to be made by the Secretary of the Interior. (Sec. 2613 (e), Adm. Code) 72 - The Secretary of the Interior is vested with special powers to investigate on his own motion and for cause to sus:cend any officer or employee of an,· political subdivision in the then Departme!1t of Mindanao and Sulu, and move such officer or employee. (Sec. 2G13(f), Adm. Code) Page 5GO "IT'S YOUR SON" LETTER from a British aviator to a German mother: "It's your son. I know you ean't forgive me, for I killed him. But I want you to know he didn't suffer; the end came quickly. He had vour picture in his pocket . . . I didn't think of him or of you when I shot at his machine; he was just an enemy spying out on our men. Icouldn't let him get back to tell the news; it would have meant death to our men. I know vou must have loved him War isn't fair to women. God, ho\V · i wish it were over. I feel, if I touch your boy, he would wake up and we should be friends ... I will take care of him and mark his grave. After the war you may want to take him home again. l\'Iy own heart is heavy. I felt it was my duty." THE German mother's reply: "There is nothing to forgive. I see you as you are in your troubled goodness. I feel you coming to me like a little boy astonished at having done ill when you meant so well. He was my youngest. To women war is a reality, for all men are our sons. Yet, perhaps, women more than men are to blame for this world war. We did not think of the world's children as our children. The baby hands that clutched at our breasts were so sweet, we forgot the hundred other baby hands that stretches out to us. And now my heart aches with repentance. When this war is over come to me. I am waiting for you."-F1'0m "Listener," B.B.C. ---oOo--fJ!z.!z.0.11. llclzn rJ1.11-Led9ed In the speech of Atty. Ladislao r alma, in our August issue, the third statement of the last paragraph on page 41:\ should read: As a matter of prin~ipk, government officials and employef's c;hould not be guilty of malfea,o;rnce. misfea~ance, and nonfeasanc2 of rlu li,:s. There is malfeasance when an ;;d contrary to or prohibited by la'-'" i:1 done. THE LOCAL GO\'ER:'\ME;\T 1a;vn;w

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