Mike Palecek

Hidden Heroes Mike Palecek

You never knew if the person next door was a hero; a Norwegian resistance fighter. The hero next door could be a teenager going with his dad to steal grain from a Nazi train, in order to feed refugees. It could be a girl who hid underground messages in her instrument case, while going by bike to a violin lesson. It could be the fisherman down the street, rowing a boat full of grenades, with a German U-boat captain sitting on the seat which was hiding them. Many Norwegians risked their lives to thwart the Nazis who were occupying their country. These are their true stories. These twenty eyewitness accounts were originally collected from Sons of Norway members by District 5 Cultural Director, Jean Bittner. We hope these accounts help you remember the acts of bravery that everyday heroes made in Norway during World War II.