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I am half Latvian. Both of my paternal grandparents were Latvian. They came to the U.S. before World War I, but after the fall of the Soviet Union we reconnected with the Latvian family. Most, if not all, men of military age were conscripted by either the Germans or the Russians. Depending on who controled the part of Latvia where you lived, you served that Country, or went to prison or were executed. Many women were also conscripted. A first cousin once removed from Latvia was killed at the Battle of Stalingrad. He is my closesst relation killed in World War II, although on my mother's side I am of colonial ancestry. He was Latvian, but you do not count him as a "Latvian Military Casualty" as your Latvian Military Casualties are zero. If you count him you count him as a "Soviet Military Casualty". This vastly understates the effect of World War II on nations that were coerced into the Soviet Union and overstates so called "Soviet" casualties. A niece of my grandfather was conscripted into the German Army and served as a radio operator for the Luftwaffa. After the war the Germans were gracious enough to take her along when they left Latvia; though her service was not voluntary in any true sense of the word, the Russians would have executed her. She married a German soldier who survived the war [out of three high school clases, his and the one before and after it, only he and one other man survived the war. The other man was incapacitated by war wounds, so that he was the sole functioning survivor of the war out of three high school classes. He and my cousin whom he married have two daughters, both Dentists in Germany. I put in some family details so that you know that I have "Latvian" family and know about the war in Latvia. Believe me Latvia had military casualties, she bore more than her share of the military brunt of both sides of the war and failing to at least provide a note that her casualties are hidden in Soviet and German Military casualties grossly misrepresents the trued death toll for Latvia in World War II. If Military deaths were properly attributed Latvia might have the highest death toll as a percentage of population, based on your count of Civilian Casualties alone Latvia is above 11 and a half percent. Harold A. Lassman, Esquire, <lassmanflaga@yahoo.com>
