Imprisoned by Their Own Countries
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IMPRISONED BY THEIR OWN COUNTRIES George Takei And Robert Clary Look Back At Youth Tainted By War BY DOMINICK CANCILLA here is no greater betrayal than a betrayal of trust. It is far him and turned him over to the Nazis. On his way to the concen- Tworse to be abused by a parent than beaten by a stranger. It is tration camp in the back of an open truck crowded with other pris- a greater evil to cheat a lover than a chance acquaintance. That is oners, children on the street laughed, threw stones, and yelled, why, in times of war, the most deeply betrayed are those who are “Dirty Jew bastards.” betrayed by their own country. Of the 1,004 people in Clary’s convoy, 698 were sent directly to In this section we offer two examples of such betrayal. Each of the gas chambers. Of those who were not immediately selected, 15 these men was taken prisoner by the government of the country he men and no women survived. Of the twelve members of his fam- had grown up with. One was delivered to the Nazis, one was ily who were taken, only he returned. imprisoned in America. Each went on to a prosperous career, and In his book From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes, Clary devoted part of his life to educating the world so that such horri- details his early life, his 31 months spent in German concentration ble wrongs would never happen again. camps, and his career afterwards. He makes clear not only the hor- ror of the Holocaust, but also the fact that luck and chance occur- ROBERT CLARY: rence had as much to do with survival in the camps as did strength FROM THE HOLOCAUST of will. TO HOGAN’S HEROES The book is interesting, both because it tells the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of someone who lived through it, here are few Americans who are not familiar with Hogan’s and because it details Clary’s life after the war. His unwillingness THeroes. The show is a sitcom set in a German prisoner of war to discuss the Holocaust until long after it was over, and the events camp during World War II, revolving around Colonel Hogan and which led to his change in feelings about speaking of it are quite his fellow prisoners matching of wits with their bumbling captors. telling. Although the show’s premise is somewhat questionable, its exe- Those who know Clary only because of Hogan’s Heroes will be cuting was excellent. Hogan’s Heroes ran for six seasons in the surprised to learn that he had an extensive singing career before 1960s and remains popular to this day. that show, and that until recently he was putting out an album every What many people don’t know is that two of the show’s actors year. Clary is also an accomplished artist, and continues to express were deeply affected by real events in Germany during World War himself through his paintings. II. Werner Klemperer — Hogan’s Colonel Klink — was a German Until recently, he also was a frequent speaker for the Simon Jew whose family was forced to flee Germany as Hitler rose to Wiesenthal Center, helping school children and other groups learn power. Robert Clary — Hogan’s Corporal LeBeau — was a French about the Holocaust so that such a thing can never happen again. Jew whose family didn’t see the Nazis coming until it was too late. Clary was quite willing to speak with us about the current state Clary was born in Paris in the early 1920s. He endured anti- of Holocaust education. But even so, there was something in his semitism while trying to build for himself a career as an entertainer. manner which gave the impression that he was doing something When Clary was 16, the government of occupied France arrested he had to do rather than something he wanted to do. Even after METROPOLE | 48 Survivors, but still scarred: George Takei as Mr. Sulu in Star Trek and Robert Clary as LeBeau in Hogan’s Heroes sixty years, the wounds refused to heal. what they did. It’s what’s on their mind. CLARY: There were all kinds of things There are German soldiers and Nazis so and they were all very gratifying. Every METROPOLE: What do you feel is the they think concentration camp. But it was time I was through talking they would give current state of education on the Holocaust? very different. It had nothing to do with me a standing ovation. They loved to see ROBERT CLARY: I educated from 1980 genocide, nothing to do with arresting Jews me, to see the number on my arm. And the for at least 15 years. There’s really not just because they are Jews. Maybe it’s a letters I received are very gratifying and much more I can tell you about it. It was sign of bad education, but it’s not just stu- keep me going. very tough, but the Simon Wiesenthal cen- dents who said that. Grownups at the time METROPOLE: Do you think that the ter sent me all over the U.S. and Canada to said that. Even people who didn’t watch it Holocaust is being adequately taught about functions, and I would talk about the sub- were horrified by what they thought was a in schools? ject. If it wasn’t successful I would have concentration camp. You could not do a CLARY: I hope so. I don’t know what we stopped a long time ago because you can comedy series about a camp, but it is true Jews did that we are on this earth to be so not fool the kids. I do not do it any more. that in concentration camps, most of us did despised constantly by other human beings. All I do now is paint, and I used to put out not lose our sense of humor, and that was We were the complete opposite — we a CD every year but I think I’ve stopped part of how we got through it. brought people who cured diseases and now. I’ve also joined the Shoah foundation METROPOLE: In your book you mention wrote great symphonies. For centuries we established by Spielberg, which was a great someone asking about your sex life in the have always been — they have wanted to thing. Many survivors wanted a movie camp. Does this kind of question seem get rid of us. If you teach people from a made about it, and the foundation has innocent or ignorant to you? very early age to not to despise, to not to recorded the stories of many survivors. CLARY: It depends who asked that ques- hate, it might help a little bit to show us I know one or two survivors who are still tion. I don’t really remember. I think it was why we are on this earth. talking about it and who belong to the kind of a curiosity. At that age people are METROPOLE: At what age should chil- Wiesenthal center. The center sends school greatly obsessed with sex so they want to dren be introduced to the subject? children by bus to see the Museum of Tol- find out “what did they do.” It didn’t shock CLARY: I think I always resented to talk erance and hear from a survivor. me. From a young student, it was sheer to five, six, seven years old kid, even eight METROPOLE: Do you think that people curiosity. They’re at the age where they are or nine. My thinking is they are much too confusing the setting of Hogan’s Heroes talking to you so they want to know what is young to comprehend. I think you have to with a concentration camp is a sign of bad hanging between your legs. be in high school. At that age, you have to education? METROPOLE: What other kinds of ques- be responsible for what you do with your CLARY: I think that most of the time that’s tions were you often asked? life, and they may understand better and be METROPOLE | 49 more impressed. fine. I am contented to have been very about the Japanese relocation camps during METROPOLE: When I was in high lucky to have lived as long as I have and to World War II — school, one of my classmates brought in a have had a great marriage and parents. I GEORGE TAKEI: Oh no, no. Let me note from her mother excusing her from have wonderful grandchildren. If people correct you right off. They were U.S. any classroom discussions about World want to think “Hogan’s Heroes made a star internment camps for Japanese Americans. War II. What do you think of that? out of him,” fine. I have always sung and Japanese internment camps were put up by CLARY: Well that’s ignorance on their danced and worked in all aspects of show the Japanese government for American parents’ part. business. P.O.W.s. You see the difference. METROPOLE: Education is needed to METROPOLE: Is there any thought METROPOLE: Absolutely. help counter the arguments of Holocaust you’d like to leave our readers with? TAKEI: These were U.S. internment revisionists. How do you think revisionists CLARY: No that’s about it. Just tell them camps for Japanese Americans. We were should be handled? to buy the book! rounded up by our own government and CLARY: I think they have been handled incarcerated in our own country.