Selon la date retenue, les commentaires sont évidement très différents

Belonging to a Luftwaffe AA battery is also not a sign that he was a Nazi; had he been a fanatical Nazi, not only would he have volunteered for the Waffen SS, but he wouldn't have deserted in 1944. That desertion in itself is not an unremarkable act. They still shot deserters at that time. Being in the German Army does not mean that you were a Nazi.

Ben oui, déserter en avril 44 est un acte exceptionnel me semble-t-il. Un an à patienter dans un placard à balais sans jamais en sortir de peur d'être dénoncé par le premier Hitler Jungen qui passe. Chapeau !

Mais He deserted the Germany army in May 1945 and returned to Traunstein -- a risky move, since deserters were shot on the spot if caught, or publicly hanged as examples to others.
When he arrived home, U.S. soldiers took him prisoner and held him in a POW camp for several weeks

Bof, à cette date, je pense que les déserteurs formaient de véritables troupeaux et qu'ils sauvaient plutôt leur peau de cette façon. Plutôt les Américains que les Russes non ?

D'ailleurs Ratzinger deserted the army in MAY of 1945. This was AFTER Hitler had committed suicide and all Germans knew the war was lost. He was trying to save his own skin.

Bon enfin, cette remise à l'honneur de la désertion précoce n'est pas pour me déplaire. Reste à savoir si Benoît XVI mérite cet honneur ou pas.

Amicalement
Jacques