European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 20, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Arenc a cloaked Adolf Hitler is escorted by Heinrich Himmler on his right shortly after the july 20 attempt on his life. The hit that failed 50 years ago by Sid Moody the associated press o say a figure As hellish As Adolf Hitler had a guardian Angel insults religion. Settle for lady Luck. Even before his inauguration As Reich Chancellor in 1933, Hitler had survived often miraculously recurrent attempts to kill him. His closest Brush with assassination occurred on july 20, 1944 a 50 years ago today a when members of his own army came within an Oak table leg of blowing him up. He emerged with his pants in shreds his face blackened an eardrum ruptured and his right Arm inoperative. That afternoon he greeted his old Axis sidekick Benito Mussolini now reduced to a Marionette in a puppet state in a Corner of Italy. Quot my buttocks Are like the backside of a Baboon Quot Hitler confided. Quot but i  and this survival signalled celestial intent Hitler said. Quot clearly it is my divine task to continue on and bring my great Enterprise to  a there had always been those a too col. Von Stauffenberg few too diffuse too irresolute a in Germany who a nominated both the Fuhrer and his enterprises. But they lacked a unifying umbrella. To old line prussian generals he was an upstart who despite being decorated never advanced beyond Corporal in world War i. Other generals thought his invasion of 1941 into the endless Steppes of Russia a which had swallowed Napoleon a was suicidal. Liberal and International aristocrats schooled in Goethe and Beethoven were repulsed by his blatant demagoguery. Clerics such As Dietrich both offer thought Hitler the Antichrist. Conservatives in the a Wehr the nazi counterintelligence Agency deplored Hitler s Barbaric tyranny. A very few would assassinate him for his murderous anti semitism alone. From Early in the War Onward anti Hitler generals and diplomats had been clandestinely approaching the allies a More often Britain and the United states but occasionally Russia As Well a seeking terms of a settlement. As Germany s defeat increasingly seemed inevitable these feelers included the removal of Hitler As evidence of Good Faith by the plotters. This had always been an element in any armistice terms but assumed More urgency As the end Drew near and Hitler s foes were increasingly eager to Swap the Fuhrer for National survival and pro ebly their own. The allies had been and remained cold to compromises even though continued on Page 16 closer look children had to pay for plotters attempt by Terrence Petty the associated press in August 1944,6year-old Franz Ludwig Graf von Stauffenberg was spirited from his grandmother s House by the Gestapo along with his sister and two older Brothers. They were driven to a convalescent Home for youths. Thirty nine other children also were there. The youngsters were not taken to the Remote spa Village of bad Sachs for their health. These were the sons and daughters of aristocratic German military officers and bureaucrats who tried to kill Adolf Hitler on july 20,1944. Stauffenberg a dashing father a col. Claus Graf von Stauffenberg a planted the bomb that was meant to blow Hitler to pieces. The children were shut away to give Hitler time to mull Over whether they should be executed like their fathers or handed Over to is families for a brainwashing to try to make them forget who they Are. Watched closely by the Gestapo and separated from their just widowed mothers the children were kept at bad Sachs. Eight months later before their Fate could be decided the children were liberated by american soldiers As the War came to an end. As a child Franz Ludwig was kept in the dark about his fathers participation in years of planning to kill Hitler. A my Mother knew he was involved but not that he was to carry the bomb a says Stauffenberg who operates a business in Berlin that is helping Federal officials privatize real estate in Franz Ludwig Craf von Stauffenberg former East Germany. The Stauffenberg children were reunited with their Mother who was also arrested by the Gestapo after the War. Life was not easy for the relatives of the july 20 conspirators. They were seen As traitors by germans who had nazi sympathies. Others shunned the families because of their own guilt about having supported Hitler. Today col. Stauffenberg and the other. Conspirators Are seen in Germany As heroes. Many books have been written about them. There a a Stauffenberg Strasse in Berlin and the former supreme command Headquarters is now a shrine to Stauffenberg and the resistance. Many of the conspirators relatives became influential members of society after the War. One of the Stauffenberg sons is a general in the German army. The youngest son Franz Ludwig spent 12 years As a member of the West German parliament and later became a member of toe european Par Tiame not there Are still disputes Over whether the july 20 conspirators can be considered True heroes mainly because they did t act decisively until it was Clear that Germany was losing toe War. But there is no doubt in Franz Ludwig Stauffenberg s mind. To him his father was one of Germany s bravest men. Wednesday july 20,1994 the stars and 5tripes 15