Letters of Survival

Did you know? German soldiers on the front often gathered at night to burn their own

letters. At first glance it looked strange. These were messages from home,

reminders of normal life, proof that someone cared about them. Yet soldiers destroyed

them in small fires across trenches, bunkers and frozen fields. Officers watched

without stopping them, and some even encouraged it. New recruits saw

it happening and wondered what the real reason was. It was not about fear,

superstition or avoiding trouble with commanders. It was not even about hiding personal

feelings from enemy eyes. The truth had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to