The Treatment of Collaborators

I had an experience with, in, when we were in Lille in France. There were these people that went into this village and they were cutting these women’s hair off, you know, because they’d been associating with the Germans. And they were, they’d just get their hair and they’d just clip it all off and then they’d get a razor and make them all bald-headed. And they were stuffing this stuff down this little boy’s shirt, the hair. I say, “Why are they doing that? ” because they couldn’t talk very much, and this one guy could talk pretty good English and he said, “Well, that kid had informed the Germans that there was some paratroopers, that had our air plane had been shot down, and these people had bailed out and he told the Germans where they were.” So he said that’s why they were cutting these women’s hair off because they had associated with the Germans. He said, “You want to cut their hair? ” I said, “Not really, no.” You know, it’s not my problem. You know, after all, those guys, you know, those people had been there for four years, and I suppose if somebody offered you a loaf of bread or whatever, you know, to eat, food, I suppose you would associate with them too. I don’t know, I’m not... Like you’re talking about moral standards. I don’t know, you know. If you’re starving, I suppose you would.