Participants:
Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ004119S
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00:26 On the 11th of December 1941,
00:29 Adolf Hitler declared war 00:32 on the United States of America, 00:35 drawing the country 00:36 into the heat and bloodshed of World War II. 00:40 As an act of aggression, 00:42 Hitler deployed his dreaded U-boat wolf packs 00:45 into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean 00:48 and the Gulf of Mexico 00:50 to patrol the American coastline. 00:53 The U-boats were part of what became known 00:56 as Operation Drumbeats, 00:58 a covert Nazi plan to target and seek 01:02 merchant vessels 01:03 carrying supplies to the allied forces in Europe. 01:07 Amid the carnage that followed, 01:10 a single U-boat officer stationed aboard the U-166 01:15 was plunged into the heart of an amazing story, 01:20 a story of love, loss and forgiveness 01:23 that bridge the gap between two continents, 01:26 and irrevocably changed the lives of two people. 01:31 Join us as we explore their amazing story 01:35 and take a look at the dramatic and providential events 01:38 that brought them together. 01:56 This is Cape Hatteras, 01:59 a small curve in a thin strip of islands 02:03 known as the Outer Banks. 02:05 The islands are nestled 02:07 in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, 02:09 along the coast of North Carolina. 02:12 During World War II 02:13 this sway the ocean 02:15 was frequented by merchant ships, 02:18 ferrying supplies to allied nations in Europe. 02:24 When Hitler declared war on the United States, 02:27 these waters became a special arena 02:30 for the Nazi war machine. 02:32 Beginning in 1942, Admiral Karl D"nitz, 02:36 Head of the Nazi Chris Marina or navy 02:40 deployed dozens of U-boats to target and sink 02:44 all merchant ships 02:45 carrying cargo and supplies to the allies. 02:49 It's estimated that by the end of World War II, 02:52 German U-boats had sunk more than 800 ships 02:56 with thousands of casualties 02:58 and millions of tons of cargo on board. 03:02 Nearby is the graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, 03:06 located in Hatteras, North Carolina, 03:09 where you can learn more about 03:10 some of these World War II vessels. 03:13 Of special interest is an Enigma machine 03:16 used on board U-boats 03:18 to send and receive coded messages. 03:21 This particular Enigma machine was recovered from the U-85. 03:27 The first Nazi U-boat loss of the war, 03:30 sunk by gunfire from the US's Roper 03:33 in March of 1942. 03:36 But Hitler's relentless U-boat wolf packs 03:39 didn't limit themselves to the waters of the Atlantic. 03:43 In May 1942, 03:45 a German U-boat surfaced in broad daylight 03:49 and in full view of sunbathers 03:52 lounging on the beach in Boca Raton, Florida. 03:55 The U-456 proceeded to torpedo the oil tanker Eclipse, 04:01 and the nearby freighter Delisle, 04:03 which was carrying a cargo of camouflage paint. 04:07 There were even rumors 04:09 that locals along the Gulf Coast 04:11 had been recruited by the Nazis 04:14 to supply U-boats crews 04:15 with food, fuel, and other supplies. 04:19 As intriguing as all these stories are, 04:22 there is one story that stands out among them all. 04:26 A story that weaves all these pieces together, 04:30 infusing them 04:31 with a more personal human element. 04:34 It's the story of a man and a woman 04:36 on opposing sides of the wall. 04:39 A sailor washed ashore, 04:41 and a grieving widow walking along the beach, 04:44 looking for answers. 04:48 On a cool night 04:50 close to the end of World War II, 04:52 a young woman slipped into a small boat 04:54 on the shores of Orange Beach, Alabama. 04:57 Quietly, she dropped a large vegetable tin 05:00 at their feet, 05:01 took up the oars and began to pull 05:03 towards the dim coast of Ono Island. 05:07 Around the close of the war Ono Island 05:10 was nothing more than a dumping ground 05:12 for rubbish. 05:13 It was this that drew the young woman 05:15 towards the island that night. 05:17 The fact that it was devoid of human activity, 05:20 not the sort of place 05:22 that anyone would be likely to be snooping around in. 05:26 Reaching the island, 05:27 she dragged the boat up on to the sandy beach 05:30 and picked away along the shore, 05:33 cradling the precious vegetable tin 05:35 in her hands 05:36 inside it with a contents of a past life, 05:40 a dangerous life 05:42 that could jeopardize her happiness, 05:44 and the life of the man she loved. 05:47 Dropping to her knees 05:49 at the base of a large wax myrtle tree 05:52 growing on the crown of a sandy dune, 05:54 she began to dig a hole around its thick roots. 05:58 Once she was satisfied with its depth and size, 06:01 she gently dropped the vegetable tin 06:04 with its precious contents into the damn sandy earth 06:08 and covered it. 06:11 The young woman walked back to her boat, 06:13 dragged it into the water, 06:15 and slipped into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, 06:18 as silent as a phantom on the dark waves. 06:22 Her secret remained buried for the next 60 years, 06:25 undisturbed on the tiny island. 06:30 About 60 years later, Ono Island was unrecognizable. 06:34 The island was no longer a vast rubbish tip, 06:37 but it become highly developed and was home to many families. 06:42 Writer Andy Andrews and his family 06:45 were among these residents. 06:47 And one day, he found himself clearing a dead wax myrtle tree 06:52 that stood dangerously close to his home. 06:55 As he wrestled with the stump, digging up the roots, 06:59 his spade struck metal, pausing, 07:02 Andrews went down on his knees 07:05 and began to dig up handfuls of sandy soil 07:08 until he found a rusted vegetable tin 07:11 sunk deep in the sand. 07:14 Trying open the rusted lid, 07:16 Andrews discovered a swathe of leather, 07:19 hardened by age and thick with mold. 07:22 A silver button tumbled onto the sand 07:25 as he gingerly peeled back a corner. 07:28 Picking it up, he examined it. 07:30 Noticing the anchor that was engraved on its face, 07:34 completely flipping open the leather, 07:37 he found an odd assortment of objects inside. 07:41 After examining the contents and doing some research, 07:45 Andrew discovered that they were objects 07:48 belonging to a German Kriegsmarine officer, 07:51 the Kriegsmarine or German navy, 07:54 together with the head or Army and the Luftwaffe or Air Force, 07:59 combined to make up 08:00 the Wehrmacht Hitler's Nazi armed forces. 08:04 Fascinated by his discovery, 08:07 Andrews began to talk to the senior citizens 08:09 of Orange Beach 08:11 in an attempt to uncover as much as he could 08:14 about Nazi Kriegsmarine activity 08:17 in the area. 08:18 During his research, 08:20 he spoke to an elderly couple 08:22 who are members of his local church, 08:25 identifying them under the pseudonyms 08:28 of Helen and Joseph Newman. 08:30 Andrew spent several afternoons with them, 08:33 asking them questions. 08:35 What he discovered was that the objects 08:38 in the vegetable tin belong to Yossef, 08:41 and that they had been hidden on Ono island by Helen. 08:46 The Newman's then proceeded to tell Andrews their story, 08:49 which he chronicled in his bestselling book, 08:52 the Heart Mender. 08:54 This story is one of the most fascinating 08:57 and touching accounts of human experience 09:00 during the horrors of World War II. 09:04 Yossef Landman 09:06 was a young German under Lieutenant 09:09 serving on board the Nazi U-boat U-166 09:13 under the command of Captain Hans-G nther Kuhlmann, 09:17 Yossef had studied World History 09:20 at the University of Oxford on a full scholarship. 09:23 After returning to Germany, 09:25 he found work 09:26 as a high school history teacher 09:28 and married his high school sweetheart, 09:31 Tatiana. 09:32 A year later, Tatiana gave birth 09:35 to a little baby girl, whom they named Rosa. 09:40 When Rosa was still a baby, 09:42 Yossef was conscripted to serve 09:45 Hitler's armed forces that were mastering for war. 09:49 He was given three days to say goodbye 09:52 to his young family and report for duty, 09:55 where he was assigned to the Chris Marina as a cadet. 09:59 He was later assigned to the U-166 10:03 shortly before it began war exercises 10:06 in preparation for active combat. 10:09 Before the U-boat was deployed to the Gulf of Mexico, 10:13 Yossef went home on a three day leave pass 10:17 to see his wife and daughter in May 1942. 10:22 While he was visiting them on the 30th of May, 10:26 over 1000 RAF and American bombers 10:29 raided Cologne dropping bombs on the city. 10:33 When Yossef heard the drone of the aeroplanes, 10:36 he ran out of this small apartment, 10:38 to see which direction the strikes were coming from. 10:43 As he stood on the street, staring at the darkened sky, 10:47 filled with the inky silhouettes 10:49 of enemy aeroplanes, 10:51 he heard a sharp whistling over his shoulder turning, 10:55 he watched in harm as a bomb fell 10:58 directly onto the apartment building 11:01 he had just come out of demolishing it 11:04 in a huge explosion. 11:07 Desperately, Yossef walked his way through the rubble, 11:11 calling out for Tatiana and Rosa. 11:14 At noon the next day, 11:16 he finally found them both dead, 11:20 Rosa tucked in Tatiana's arms. 11:23 Grief stricken, Yossef sat beside the debris 11:27 until he was found by the Gestapo, 11:30 who told him his primary responsibility 11:33 was to Hitler and his cause. 11:36 They didn't even let him burry his family, 11:39 but sent him straight back to serve on board the U-166. 11:44 Before the U-166 was deployed, 11:47 Hitler, along with Admiral Karl DA nitz 11:51 inspected the U-boat and its crew. 11:53 There Kuhlmann was informed by DA nitz 11:56 that they would be an additional aspect 11:59 to their mission and an extra crew member. 12:03 Nazi party observer named Ounce Schneider 12:07 was assigned to the U-boat. 12:09 Schneider would act as appointment 12:11 for Nazi high command, 12:13 sending and receiving coded messages 12:16 regarding their missions in the Gulf of Mexico. 12:20 Schneider had known Landman 12:23 when they were both students at Oxford. 12:26 While at Oxford, 12:27 Schneider had attacked a Jewish professor 12:30 in the middle of a lecture 12:32 and Yossef along with another student 12:35 had hold him away 12:36 before he seriously injured the man. 12:39 Ever since that day, 12:41 Schneider had harbored a serious grudge 12:43 against Yossef. 12:46 When they both ended up on board the U-166, 12:49 Schneider plotted for a way 12:51 to get rid of Yossef without arousing suspicion. 12:56 On the 19th of July 1942, 12:59 when the U-boat was surface 13:01 for a routine rendezvous with a supply ship, 13:04 Schneider shot Yossef in a premeditated attack. 13:09 Yossef tumbled into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico 13:12 bleeding and terrified in the darkness. 13:16 The submarine was bobbing 13:17 alongside the anchored supply boat 13:20 and Yossef managed to hide in the shadows of the boat, 13:24 grabbing onto one of the tires tied to its rail. 13:29 When the boat revved Yossef hitched a ride, 13:32 letting go 30 meters away from the U-boat. 13:36 He was hoping that the captain 13:37 would turn on the search light to look for him. 13:40 But the search light never came on. 13:43 Instead, the submarine melted 13:46 seamlessly beneath the dark waters 13:49 and disappeared. 13:51 Alone in the water, 13:53 trailing blood from two open wounds, 13:55 Yossef began to panic, 13:57 fearing an imminent shark attack, 14:00 but the tide was rushing back into Mobile Bay, 14:03 carrying everything in the water towards land. 14:08 Clinging to a piece of timber, 14:10 Yossef allowed himself to be carried along 14:13 by the tide until he hit the Dixie bar 14:16 a massive sandbar not far from shore. 14:20 When Yossef felt his feet hit the sandbar 14:23 he stumbled towards shore for 3 kilometers 14:26 before falling facedown on the beach. 14:31 That night, Helen Mason, 14:34 a young widow was out 14:35 walking on the beach at 2:30 am. 14:39 Helen lived in a little cottage she had inherited 14:41 from her aunt 14:42 located on the sand dunes of Orange Beach, Alabama. 14:47 Helen's husband had been 14:49 an American Air Force instructor. 14:51 Helen and Tyler Mason had been married 14:54 four months when Tyler volunteered 14:58 to teach a two week course 15:00 to a detached wing of the RAF 15:02 outside London in February 1941. 15:06 Tyler finished the training in 12 days 15:09 and was getting ready to head back home 15:12 when he was killed in a Nazi Luftwaffe, 15:14 a bombing raid. 15:16 His death left Helen numb with grief and bitterness. 15:21 She hated America 15:23 for allowing her husband to go to England, 15:26 and she hated the British 15:28 for not protecting him while he was in their care. 15:31 But her most bitter rage 15:34 was reserved for the Nazis who had killed him. 15:39 In the early morning hours of the 20th of July 1942, 15:44 as Helen Mason walked on the beach 15:46 near her house, 15:48 she spotted a dark form 15:50 slumped on the sand near the surf. 15:53 As she came closer, 15:55 she realized it was the man washed up on the beach. 16:00 The man was lying face down in the sand, 16:02 blood oozing from his right arm and leg. 16:06 Helen rolled him on his back 16:07 and looked him over realizing he was alive. 16:12 She was about to offer him help 16:15 when she took a closer look at his uniform. 16:17 And it occurred to her 16:19 that he wasn't an American sailor. 16:22 She asked who he was, and he gave his name in reply. 16:28 When she pointedly asked if he was German, 16:31 Yossef had no choice but to say, yes, 16:35 that single innocuous word 16:38 let loose a storm of emotion inside Helen. 16:41 Screaming at the wounded man lying helplessly before her, 16:45 she began to punch him in the face 16:48 and pummeled his wounded shoulder. 16:51 She accused him of killing her husband, 16:54 as she directed her pent up anger 16:56 to the wounded sailor, 16:59 Yossef Landman lying impassively on the beach, 17:03 as Helen assaulted him. 17:05 Finally, physically unable to punch him anymore 17:09 Helen crawled away from him and collapsed on the sand, 17:14 sobbing hysterically. 17:17 When she had finally calm down, 17:20 Helen tried to figure out what to do with Yossef. 17:23 Should she kill him? 17:25 She didn't have any weapons on her. 17:28 She seriously considered 17:30 dragging him back into the surf 17:32 and holding his head beneath the water, 17:34 but decided that she didn't have 17:37 the energy to do it. 17:38 Finally, Helen decided to turn him into the police 17:43 the next morning. 17:45 Having formulated a plan, 17:47 Helen shakily got to her feet, 17:50 and began to walk back towards her cottage. 17:53 When the man's quiet voice 17:55 drifted over the pounding surf to reach her, 17:58 apologizing for the loss of her husband. 18:02 He then began to cry, 18:04 a horrible whale that filled the air, 18:07 and rose heaving against the roar of the waves, 18:12 lying on the beach, sobbing in anguish and shame 18:16 Yossef Landman called out to God, 18:20 repeating the names of his wife and daughter 18:23 over and over again in the darkness. 18:26 Helen stood there watching him until he had calmed down. 18:32 He asked Helen for her husband's name, 18:34 and Helen gave it to him. 18:36 Then, without much thought, 18:38 she walked over to him and grabbed him by the collar, 18:42 jerking hard and commanding him to stand up. 18:46 Struggling Yossef managed to get to his feet. 18:50 Helen steadied them both, and then commanded him to walk. 18:55 Bewildered, Yossef asked 18:57 where they were going and Helen pointed her chin 19:00 in the direction of her house. 19:03 Together, they ambled along, 19:05 Yossef leaning heavily on Helen for support. 19:09 Why are you helping me 19:11 Yossef asked breaking the silence? 19:14 Who said I was helping you? 19:16 Helen shout back 19:18 as she navigated the sandy path home would. 19:22 When they reached her cottage, 19:24 Helen left him on the bottom step of her home 19:27 and told him to get up the stairs 19:29 and into the house. 19:31 She then left for work. 19:33 When Helen returned home from work, 19:36 she found Yossef lying on the bathroom floor, 19:39 still in his wet clothes, and burning up with fever. 19:44 Schneider's bullet 19:45 had slice clean through his shoulder, 19:48 leaving a gaping exit wound on his back, 19:51 but no broken bones. 19:53 Helen tended to Yossef's wounds as best she could, 19:56 and left him on her couch, 19:58 where he remained deliriously calling out 20:02 for his wife and daughter for several days. 20:05 Then one day Helen returned home 20:07 to find Yossef recovered and sitting on the couch 20:11 in a tiny living room. 20:14 He was polite and courteous, 20:16 and something about his manner 20:18 prevented Helen from turning him over 20:20 to the authorities. 20:22 Yossef remained in Helen's cottage, 20:24 where they maintained an uneasy truce 20:27 until one evening, 20:28 about a month after she found him 20:31 things took a dramatic turn. 20:34 They were out walking along the beach 20:36 one evening in August, 20:38 when Helen asked Yossef if he missed his wife. 20:42 Yes, I do. 20:44 You miss your husband, don't you? 20:46 He asked. 20:48 Aghast, Helen stared at him for a moment 20:51 before saying but it's not the same. 20:55 Why is it not the same? 20:57 Yossef asked quietly. 20:59 Because my husband is dead Helen responded, 21:03 then it is the same Yossef said. 21:08 It was only then 21:10 that Helen realize that Yossef's family was dead. 21:14 With tears streaming down his face, 21:16 he recounted the events 21:18 surrounding their deaths to Helen, 21:20 and then collapsed onto the sand weeping. 21:24 Helen sat beside him 21:26 a gentle hand on his heaving back 21:29 in quiet solidarity. 21:31 Finally, regaining his composure, 21:34 Yossef looked up at her 21:36 and told her that he knew that he must forgive her 21:40 and those who had taken his family from him. 21:43 We are the product of our past, he said, 21:46 but we don't have to be prisoners of it. 21:51 Confused, Helen asked him why he needed to forgive her. 21:55 And he responded by telling her 21:58 that as surely as Germans had killed her husband, 22:01 Americans and their allies had killed his wife. 22:05 Incredulous and incensed, 22:08 Helen insisted that her husband 22:10 had nothing to do with the RAF and the allies 22:14 bombing the city of Cologne. 22:17 Yossef listened to her quietly 22:19 before standing up and glaring down at her. 22:23 He acknowledged that the RAF had bombed Cologne, 22:26 and then pointed out to her 22:28 that her husband had trained the RAF. 22:33 Over the months that followed, 22:35 Yossef moved out of Helen's cottage 22:38 into a smallest squatters cottage 22:40 along the beach. 22:42 Their friendship developed 22:44 and both of them learn to forgive not only each other, 22:48 but also those who had taken so much from them. 22:53 In order to hide his German origins, 22:56 Yossef Landman changed his name to Joseph Newman, 23:01 and adopted the cover story and an English accent. 23:05 He and Helen fell in love, 23:08 and were married in 1947 23:11 well after the end of the war. 23:15 Yossef and Helen story is remarkable, 23:18 not only because of the unusual circumstances 23:21 surrounding how they met 23:23 and developed their relationship, 23:25 but also because of the very essence 23:27 of their story. 23:29 At the very heart of their journey 23:31 as individuals, and as the couple 23:34 is the story of restoration and forgiveness. 23:38 In the book he wrote about their story. 23:41 Author Andy Andrews says this. 23:44 Sometimes, we attach our entire lives 23:47 to the moment we were hurt 23:49 and allow it to define and consume our very existence. 23:54 Our hurt continues to live until we forgive. 23:59 Helen was consumed by bitterness 24:01 after the death of her husband. 24:04 Yossef was filled with grief 24:06 after the senseless deaths of his wife and child. 24:10 Each of them had to choose to forgive those 24:14 who had taken so much from them. 24:16 It was not a case of managing their anger. 24:19 This simply cannot be done. 24:22 The key to their restoration 24:24 lay in their willingness to forgive. 24:28 But forgiveness is not something 24:30 that we can do on our own. 24:33 The Matthews proverb tells us that to err is human, 24:37 but to forgive is divine. 24:40 And indeed, it takes a supernatural act 24:43 of divine grace 24:45 to empower us to forgive and not only forgive, 24:49 but to surrender the past and experience healing. 24:54 The Bible gives us some incredible exhortations 24:57 and assurances about forgiveness. 25:00 Ephesians 4:32 says this, 25:04 "And be kind to one another, 25:06 tender hearted, forgiving one another, 25:10 even as God in Christ forgave you." 25:14 We're also given the secret to accomplishing this 25:17 in Philippians 4:13. 25:21 "I can do all things through Christ 25:23 who strengthens me." 25:25 You see, God is the greatest forgiver 25:28 of all time. 25:29 His ability and willingness to forgive 25:32 those who have hurt Him, betrayed Him, 25:35 and taken so much from Him, 25:37 far surpasses anything we can ever imagine. 25:41 And that is why we should turn to Him 25:44 with the pain and bitterness of our past, 25:47 asking Him to help us do what we can never accomplish 25:51 on our own. 25:53 If you'd like to let go of the past, 25:56 and face the future with hope, 25:58 if you'd like to experience inner peace and happiness, 26:01 if you'd like to cast all your burdens on God today, 26:05 and find true peace and healing for your heart, 26:08 then I'd like to recommend the free gift we have 26:11 for all our incredible journey viewers today. 26:16 It's the booklet, Forgiving the Unforgivable. 26:20 This booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely free. 26:25 I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever. 26:29 So make the most of this wonderful opportunity 26:32 to receive the gifts we have for you today. 26:37 Phone or text us at 0436 333 555 in Australia 26:43 or 020 422 2042 in New Zealand, 26:48 or visit our website tij.tv 26:52 to request today's free offer 26:54 and we'll send it to you totally free of charge 26:57 and with no obligation. 26:58 Write to us at GPO box 274, 27:01 Sydney, New South Wales 2001 Australia 27:05 or PO Box 76673 Manukau, Auckland 27:10 2241 New Zealand. 27:12 Don't delay, call or text us now. 27:16 If you've enjoyed our journey to Cape Hatteras, 27:19 on the Outer Banks 27:20 and Orange Beach in the Gulf of Mexico, 27:23 along with our reflections on the priceless gift 27:26 of true forgiveness, 27:28 then be sure to join us again next week, 27:31 when we'll share another of life's journeys together. 27:34 Until then, let's ask God to lead us 27:38 to find real meaning and purpose in our lives 27:41 and inner peace and lasting happiness. 27:44 Let's pray. 27:46 Dear Heavenly Father, we all face challenges in life. 27:51 And we often struggle to forgive those 27:53 who have hurt us. 27:54 But, Lord, may we remember 27:57 that we can only find real peace 27:59 when we turn our pain, 28:01 bitterness and our past over to You. 28:05 Please grant us the inner peace and happiness 28:08 that comes from knowing 28:09 that You're in charge of our lives 28:12 and that You will care for us. 28:14 Please bless us now we pray. 28:17 In Jesus' name, amen. |
Revised 2021-11-04