As we continue this incredible journey throughout Hulmeths life we are taken back once again into Hulmeth”s past. Now Poland has surrendered and Germany celebrates a short victory, however to everyone’s dismay in the spring of 1940 Hitler sends German troops marching into France. Hulmeths city of Hamburg prepares itself for war and starts to build immensely huge concrete towers armed with flank guns to shoot down enemy bombers, as well as they are starting to construct underground bomb shelters that can hold up to one thousand people. On one June night Hamburg two bombs from the British hit a neighborhood that is usually very busy and the middle of a street. Luckily to the Germans people's relief the damage is light but it strikes fear into their hearts. Hulmeth becomes angry at Hitler and blames him for what has happened telling his friend Rudi that Hitler should have been satisfied with Poland like he said he would, but instead he goes and expands the war into France. Hulmeth's idea of Hitler grows bitterer with every action that Hitler takes even though he tries to reassure the German people that it is for the good of the country.
Shortly after, about five days it is announced on the radio that Paris has fallen to the Germans, Hitler has sent the Luftwaff to bomb Britain. By the end of summer Gerhard is forced to leave for mandatory Reich Labor Service where he will be stationed outside of Paris. After Gerhard leaves Hulmeth decides to move into his grandparents flat in order to escape Hugo’s constant rambling about the Nazi an Hitler and how good they are for Germany. Hulmeth soon takes up a volunteer position at the church as a secretary and spends many nights typing letters to fellow Mormons stationed at the front in Paris France. Each time Hulmeth thinks of Gerhard or the letter's he is writing to the poor souls in this war it causes him to hate and dislike Hitler more and more. Hulmeth know has a strong and developed opinion about the Nazi and Hitler.
Every thing that seems to be taking place in Hulmeth's life causes him to dislike Hitler more and more, for instance, on a cool September night while Hulmeth, Rudi, and Karl, one of Hulmeths good friends, are walking home together after choir practice at there church Hulmeth starts singing an American song in a very loud voice. Suddenly a group of Hitler youth patrols around the corner and hear Hulmeth singing. The leader approaches Hulmeth and says "Hail Hitler" saluting him. Hulmeth salutes him to against his will ass he knows he must. Hulmeth doesn’t know the young boys but recognizes their uniforms. HJ Streifendienst, patrol force, they are junior Gestapo. They try to bully Hulmeth questioning him as to why he is singing a British song. Hulmeth retaliates saying "Its not British its American." The leader try still to bully Hulmeth taking down his name telling him that it is un German to sing American songs. Hulmeth is seething but Rudi and Karl try to cal him down to keep him from getting into more trouble. Outraged Hulmeh tells Rudi and Karl how the Gestapo and Hitler youth are nothing but bullies.
By 1941 the Nazis have overrun Poland, France, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. But British bombs continue to fall over Hamburg. Hitler is known beginning to take even more extreme actions to "protect his people". He has ordered the Nazis to jam every other airway on the radio but the RRG, German Reich Radio. Hulmeth finds it extremely frustrating that Hitler is slowly taking their freedom away. Hulmeth fiddles with the radio trying to find any other radio station other than German while he awaits patiently for the new year to come along with a couple other boys in his church with Brother Worbs there priest.
Finally midnight comes and there is a small set of fireworks that goes off at the chime of the church bell. Somewhere a police whistle shrills through the night and it is dark and deserted in the streets once again. Hulmeth listens to brother Worbs as he kneels down and pray saying aloud as if he wanted everyone to hear him "Lord, give us peace, break the yoke of the Nazi butchers, make us free" The boys sit in stunned silence as brother Worbs says his prayer aloud in fear that someone will hear him. Even though the boys are scared to admit for fear of Hitler and the Nazi they know that he speaks the truth. Later on one day when Hulmeth returns home from school, Gerhard is back. Hulmeth feels overjoyed to see that his brother is back but only for a short time he says. Gerhard has brought a short-wave radio, this causes Hulmeth to become very excited knowing now that he can discover what is really going on from other radio stations other than the German RRG. Gerhard tells Hulmeth that he bought it in the black market, where Germans stationed in France filling their duffel bags with goods that are rationed or no longer available at home. But to Hulmeths disappointment Gerhard licks the radio away for safekeeping; he tells Hulmeth that to use it carelessly it could endanger their whole family.
Gerhard’s homecoming only lasts for a few days as he receives his draft notice ordering him to boot camp in Reibeck-Gesthact to the north of Hamburg. Hulmeth does not want Gerhard to leave even though he knows he must. Gerhard tells him that even though he is not a real Nazi that he must still stand by his country in its time of need. Hulmeth becomes irritated at how Gerhard is always right. When Gerhard leaves Hulmeth prays to God to keep him safe and return him home soon.
Then once again we are taken back into the present situation that Hulmeth is in. His day 264 in prison passes slowly as usual, but unlike every other day Hulmeth hears footsteps outside his cell, the jangle of keys and then the door opens to reveal four uniformed prison officials enter his cell, two guards are accompanying the officials there clubs at the ready. One of them the first state attorney Herr Ranke an executioner leader speaks to Hulmeth, he is appearing by instruction from the attorney general of the peoples court. Hulmeth steadies himself against the wall. Hope flutters like a butterfly in his chest. He knows important people have written letters on his behalf, people like his attorney and his senior district Hitler Youth Leader and even Hugo asking for clemency.
I predict that in the next few chapters Hulmeth will steal the radio from Gerhard’s "safekeeping" place and find out information that Hitler is not telling the Germans. I also predict that he will get caught and punished because the author used foreshadowing when Gerhard looked the radio up because he was afraid it could endanger the family if he used it. Hulmeth now has a very clear personal opinion about Hitler and the Nazi but it might get him into big trouble if he continues to speak out against them. Hulmeth is a very brave young boy for standing up for what is right and having too deal with his brother going away to war. But if Hulmeth does not control his curiosity it will soon get him into trouble.
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