Prologue

2013 February 01 Hamburg Germany

An old man aged over 97 years old sadly looks at an old photo album that has yellowed over time. He sits quietly in his chair and stares at some old pictures from the Second World War.

Taking off his glasses, the old man starts telling a story, his voice full of emotion and his eyes full of tears:
"I am Philip Steinberg, Major SS Philip Steinberg. Here in this album," holding the photo album tight to his chest, "here is all my youth, my love and my best friend's memory. I'm sure you have all heard stories about the war, but this is my story.

From all the friends that I had in this world, only the memory of one of them has remained with me, deep in my heart and I will take his memory with me to my grave." said the old man putting his left hand on his chest

"His name was Robert Stewart, captain of the US Marine Corps. We were very good friends, probably best friends I would say ... Even though the war had made us enemies, I always thought about him, he was my friend, my best friend.

It was in 1944 and I had fought in France, in Normandy ... My battalion was detached there to repel the Allied attacks. But with Allied troops there, he landed with his company... the best company ever. A116, the most feared company of the U.S. Navy.
We met again but this time as enemies. But we have always been friends and we did not act like enemies even though we had fought on opposite sides.
In France I had met Sophie, the woman who later became my wife ... I ve found out a bit later that she was Robert's girlfriend. This saddened me a lot. But he could not bear the thought. In this dangerous triangle of love one of us must go.

During the fierce battles there were many times when both would have killed each other, but neither of us ever did.
Furthermore he saved my life twice in the cruel battle in France when the Allies landed in Normandy, the terrible battle of Omaha Beach on 06/06/1944. In that battle tens of thousands of soldiers were killed, on both sides.
The first time Robert and I met was at Oxford in Great Britain.
There both of us studied medicine. I remember with pleasure those moments when he and I met for the first time.

September 23 1937, Oxford, Great Britain.

It was the first year of study but as usual I was late for class. When I entered the classroom, my professor had chided me. He wanted to kick me out of class and to shut me out of his lecture. But a blue eyed young man, tall and handsome with a gentle voice said to the professor:
"With all due respect sir, I am guilty for what has happened. As you know this is my first day in England, I'm from the United States, and today is my first day when I stepped on campus. But Mr Steinberg was the only one who helped me with everything that was necessary. So please if you really need to punish someone, then I am the sole culprit." said the handsome, gentle young man.

The professor was amazed by his gesture.
"Mr. Stewart, I appreciate your gesture to defend your fellow student but this is not his first offence, believe me" said the old Professor smiling at him.
"I understand Sir, but today my colleague has been late because of myself" said the American young man looking at me and smiling graciously. He had an immense kindness in his eyes and clearly I saw he had a good heart. Even now after 70 years I still have not understood his gesture.
Why would he choose to help stop a colleague from being expelled from the course, someone who he had never seen in his life? There were only two reasons that explained his gesture. Either he had an angelic soul or he felt lonely and he needed a friend. Probably both of them, I would say.

"Well Mr Steinberg, take a seat please, but you should know this is your last chance. You have had great luck with your friend defending you but I doubt it will happen again, you will have no excuse. " Shouted the Professor angrily.
The American young man made a small gesture with his hand to sit in the row in front of him, where there was a free seat. I sat in that chair and listened to the lecture. When classes were over and we were getting ready to leave the University, Robert was in front of me and I stopped him with a friendly tap.
"Hey, thanks for what you done for me today. I'll never forget your gesture of kindness. I owe you one, buddy. My name is Philip, Philip Steinberg."

I know your name, our Professor repeated your name several times. I'm Robert ... Robert Stewart. And I'm from New York. I came here to study at this world famous college because I thought here would be the best place to study medicine. I always had this huge desire in life to save people." said Robert smiling at me.
"I'm from Germany and I live in Hamburg. And like you, I like to save people." I replied.
So we will stay in the same building and we may even be roommates." I said to him when we reached the building where our bedrooms were.
"Unfortunately I already have a room with other colleagues but I think that if you want we can be good friends." said Robert to me.
"Certainly we will be friends, perhaps good friends. By the way, tonight my friends and I will get together in the city to have a little fun. You could come with us if you want? Of course if you have nothing else to do. I found that British women are extremely attractive." I said to him winking.

"Oh, I can't wait to discover the local beauties." he said smiling.
During the years I was in England we became best friends. I would say that we were more like brothers and nothing and no one could break our friendship. Well apart from the brutal war that began in 1939. When Germany decided that they could lead the world. But more specifically, Hitler had these great ideas.
I never agreed to these atrocities that Hitler caused in the name of the German people, the people of which I was part, and still do. My father wanted me to fight under the flag of Hitler. My father was convinced that Hitler would restore Germany's honour lost in WWI. He was the last of the old nobility of the Habsburg dynasty.

I, like my father had knighthood, so I could say I had the blue blood. But to be honest I was not too interested in this. I felt comfortable with my friends who were not of noble rank. With a heart full of sadness I went back to my home where I joined the SS troops led by Himmler.
Robert returned back across the ocean to the United States. He became captain of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Since 1942 we had not seen each other but in 1944 when the Allies decided to land in Normandy, we met again, this time as enemies. All this time I had fought in Europe and I was promoted to Major. Fate had caused Robert and I to meet as enemies. However, our friendship would not be beaten by this horrible war.