The Commandant sat uneasily on his horse. He looked down at Dad. He had previously told Dad that he liked him because Dad was the only German who could speak the mother tongue, Russian, in a God forsaken country. He turned in the saddle, and looked up and down the row of lakefront cottages. He said to Dad in Russian, "There's a group of people huddled around someone down there, comrade Kaiter." He nodded in the direction of the group.

Dad looked in the direction the Commandant was nodding. He said,...