What is the significance of 99 red balloons with WWII?
443557
A little something about Nena\nWhile it may not have been obvious to the average English speaking listener, "99 Luftballons" was a pretty rare commodity in the early '80s: a song with a conscience. While lighthearted and playful in tone, the song is ultimately one of cold war tension; a war begins when trigger happy generals send planes to intercept a mass of unidentifed objects (balloons) just above the horizon. The conflict escalates as everyone wants a piece of the action, and by the end of the song there is nothing left... no fighters, no balloons, just a world in ruins.The formations of fighters mentioned to in "99 Luftballons" must have been a much more familiar site to West Germans than to your average American of the 1980s. While we Americans sat in front of their expensive, foreign-made TVs (bought on credit) and lapped up Reaganomics, countries like Germany sat on the front lines of Reagan's renewed cold war. Germans were living with buildings that still showed forty year old scars, armed border guards, walls and fences, and a constant US military presence that could not be ignored. It should come as no surprise that a subtle yet poignant protest songs such as this would come out Germany.Both the original German version and the English version, "99 Red Balloons," were popular on U.S. radio stations in the early '80s. The English version, however, was less a direct translation of the original than an attempt to appeal to the vast English speaking audience. The group (and Nena is a group, not just singer Nena Kerner) cleary sounds more at home in their native language, and the German original is far superior to its cheesy English cousin.\n\n\n99 Red Balloons\n\nYou and I in a little toy shop\nBuy a bag of balloons with the money we've got\nSet them free at the break of dawn\n'till one by one they were gone\nBack at base, sparks in the software\nFlash the message "something's out there"\nFloating in the summer sky\nNinety nine red balloons go by\n\nNinety nine red balloons\nFloating in the summer sky\nPanic bells, it's red alert\nThere's something here from somewhere else\nThe war machine springs to life\nOpens up one eager eye\nAnd focusing it on the sky\nThe ninety nine red balloons go by\n\nNinety nine decisions treat\nNinety nine ministers meet\nTo worry, worry, super scurry\nCall the troops out in a hurry\nThis is what we've waited for\nThis is it boys, this is war\nThe President is on the line\nAs Ninety nine red balloons go by\n\nNinety nine knights of the air\nRide super high-tech jet fighters\nEveryone's a super hero\nEveryone's a Captain Kirk\nWith orders to identify\nTo clarify and classify\nScramble in the summer sky\nNinety nine red balloons go by\n\nAs ninety nine red balloons go by\n\nNinety nine dreams I have had\nIn every one a red balloon\nIt's all over and I'm standing pretty\nIn this dust that was a city\nIf i could find a souvenir\nJust to prove the world was here\nAnd here is a red balloon\nI think of you and let it go
336702
totally ignore Kails, he has no clue what he is talking about, Italy was knocked out of the war before Germany, then the allies moved in on Germany, Russia from the East and UK etc from the West and met in Berlin where Hitler shot himself before the bunker that the high command were sheltering was captured. and that was the day we celebrate as V.E day (victory in Europe) then in the Pacific it continued for a while until America dropped 2 nuclear bombs on civilian centres and Japan surrendered. the allied soldiers would of known it was over cos their commanding officers would of told them. although there are some rumours that Japanese soldiers remained in Korea till this day fighting on in the mountains cos they did  not know the war was over \nhope that helps
158449
The Nazis didn't have dimes. They had marks and pfennigs.\n\nI suppose the equivalent coin would be a 10 pfennig coin, and that's worth today about one US dollar. \n\nAt least, that is what one sold for in January on Ebay. See link below for picture of the Nazi 10 pfennig coin of 1941 sold on a winning bid of 99c.
147600
They believed that Nostradamus had predicted Germany would win WWII and they handed out propaganda with quotes from him. Also more people from Ukraine died in the Holocaust (up to 7 million) than Jews (6 million).
743668
Hope this helps...\n\nhttp://www.959theranch.com/news/?news_id=151
949584
Depending on the design…The Red patch with white star = Worn from: 26 January 1927 - 10 January 1945. \nBoth the six-pointed star and the hexagonal shape of the patch refer to the unit's designation. The colors red and white represent the distinguishing flags for field armies.\nThen there was a white star trimmed in red with an A in the middle =Worn from: 10 January 1945 - 1957. \nThe Sixth United States Army was activated in January 1943 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Among other heroic feats, it is credited with the liberation of Manila at a cost of over thirty- seven thousand casualties. The six-pointed star refers to the number six, and the red letter "A" signifies army.\nCampaigns: World War II (New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Leyte, Luzon).\nDecorations: Meritorious Unit Commendation (streamer embroidered Pacific Theater), Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 to July 1945.\nHope this helps!
191030
its WW2 slang...officers aid.
955346
just punch WWII veterans into  Google and see what comes up.
575475
Less than a dollar ,issued in 1943 from the Japanese Occupation Government of the Philippeans. Not rare
913979
That's actually from WWII, but check with eBay for an idea of whom might like it
177966
http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/ww1a.asp
312199
I watched this on the History Channel so I think that it's pretty reliable. During World War II Germany was losing so it thought that the making of an object that could be hard to detect and fast as well would help them win. They didn't finish in time and of course lost. Russia and the US got a hold of these plans. During the Cold War the US believed that it needed to get an advantage over Russia and continued Germany's plans of the aircraft they were trying to build. The whole Roswell incident was supposedly one of these tests for UFOs that the government had made. There's even a book called "HITLER'S FLYING SAUCERS: A Guide To German Flying Discs Of The Second World War".
523507
December 7, 1941 -- thirteen-year-old Tomikazu Nakaji and his best friend Billy Davis are playing in a field near their homes in Hawaii when the Japanese launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. As Tomi looks up at the sky and recognizes the Blood-Red Sun emblem on the amber fighter planes, he knows that his life has changed forever. His father and grandfather, both Japanese-Americans, are quickly arrested and taken to concentration camps. His mother loses her job because she is Japanese. Although Tomi feels frightened and ashamed of his native land, he is forced to become the man of the family. Under the Blood-Red Sun is an unforgettable tale of courage, survival and friendship.\n\nIf I know something more I´ll tell you.\n\nHave a nice Day!!!!
431540
the made airguns during wwii as experimental weapons. germany even shot a few to no effect. aim was to create a vortex to disttrub aircraft. theory was sound, and there is a less than half size model or two about doing special effects, but the german version failed
545449
I believe it was from an episode from the television show F troop when the native Americans saw something flying in the air and said "It is balloon".
675609
http://www.euronet.nl/users/wilfried/ww2/ww2.htm
1012015
It was a Hitler salute.  Kind of ironic to find this Q.  I just received my grandfathers prisoner ring from his time during his stay as a prisoner of war in a German concentration camp.  I'm sure it actually has a literal meaning in German but I really hate to hit a wiki-website for the answer.