On the 11th of December 1941,
00:00:26.96\00:00:29.86
Adolf Hitler declared war
00:00:29.89\00:00:32.76
on the United States of America,
00:00:32.79\00:00:35.53
drawing the country
00:00:35.56\00:00:36.90
into the heat and
bloodshed of World War II.
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As an act of aggression,
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Hitler deployed his
dreaded U-boat wolf packs
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into the waters
of the Atlantic Ocean
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and the Gulf of Mexico
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to patrol the
American coastline.
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The U-boats were
part of what became known
00:00:53.72\00:00:56.62
as Operation Drumbeats,
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a covert Nazi
plan to target and seek
00:00:58.99\00:01:02.32
merchant vessels
00:01:02.36\00:01:03.86
carrying supplies to
the allied forces in Europe.
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Amid the carnage that followed,
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a single U-boat officer
stationed aboard the U-166
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was plunged into the
heart of an amazing story,
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a story of love,
loss and forgiveness
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that bridge the gap
between two continents,
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and irrevocably changed
the lives of two people.
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Join us as we
explore their amazing story
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and take a look at the
dramatic and providential events
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that brought them together.
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This is Cape Hatteras,
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a small curve in a
thin strip of islands
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known as the Outer Banks.
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The islands are nestled
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in the waters of
the Atlantic Ocean,
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along the coast
of North Carolina.
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During World War II
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this sway the ocean
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was frequented
by merchant ships,
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ferrying supplies to
allied nations in Europe.
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When Hitler declared
war on the United States,
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these waters
became a special arena
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for the Nazi war machine.
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Beginning in 1942,
Admiral Karl D"nitz,
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Head of the Nazi
Chris Marina or navy
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deployed dozens of
U-boats to target and sink
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all merchant ships
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carrying cargo and
supplies to the allies.
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It's estimated that by
the end of World War II,
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German U-boats had
sunk more than 800 ships
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with thousands of casualties
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and millions of
tons of cargo on board.
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Nearby is the graveyard
of the Atlantic Museum,
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located in
Hatteras, North Carolina,
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where you can learn more about
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some of these
World War II vessels.
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Of special interest
is an Enigma machine
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used on board U-boats
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to send and
receive coded messages.
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This particular Enigma machine
was recovered from the U-85.
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The first Nazi
U-boat loss of the war,
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sunk by gunfire
from the US's Roper
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in March of 1942.
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But Hitler's
relentless U-boat wolf packs
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didn't limit themselves to
the waters of the Atlantic.
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In May 1942,
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a German U-boat
surfaced in broad daylight
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and in full view of sunbathers
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lounging on the beach
in Boca Raton, Florida.
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The U-456 proceeded to
torpedo the oil tanker Eclipse,
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and the nearby
freighter Delisle,
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which was carrying a
cargo of camouflage paint.
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There were even rumors
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that locals along the Gulf Coast
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had been recruited by the Nazis
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to supply U-boats crews
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with food, fuel,
and other supplies.
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As intriguing as
all these stories are,
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there is one story that
stands out among them all.
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A story that weaves
all these pieces together,
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infusing them
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with a more
personal human element.
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It's the story
of a man and a woman
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on opposing sides of the wall.
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A sailor washed ashore,
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and a grieving widow
walking along the beach,
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looking for answers.
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On a cool night
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close to the
end of World War II,
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a young woman
slipped into a small boat
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on the shores of
Orange Beach, Alabama.
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Quietly, she dropped
a large vegetable tin
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at their feet,
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took up the oars
and began to pull
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towards the dim
coast of Ono Island.
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Around the close
of the war Ono Island
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was nothing more
than a dumping ground
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for rubbish.
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It was this that
drew the young woman
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towards the island that night.
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The fact that it was
devoid of human activity,
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not the sort of place
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that anyone would be
likely to be snooping around in.
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Reaching the island,
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she dragged the boat
up on to the sandy beach
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and picked away along the shore,
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cradling the
precious vegetable tin
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in her hands
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inside it with a
contents of a past life,
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a dangerous life
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that could
jeopardize her happiness,
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and the life of
the man she loved.
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Dropping to her knees
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at the base of a
large wax myrtle tree
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growing on the
crown of a sandy dune,
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she began to dig a
hole around its thick roots.
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Once she was satisfied
with its depth and size,
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she gently
dropped the vegetable tin
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with its precious contents
into the damn sandy earth
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and covered it.
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The young woman
walked back to her boat,
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dragged it into the water,
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and slipped into the
waters of the Gulf of Mexico,
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as silent as a
phantom on the dark waves.
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Her secret remained
buried for the next 60 years,
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undisturbed on the tiny island.
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About 60 years later, Ono
Island was unrecognizable.
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The island was no
longer a vast rubbish tip,
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but it become highly developed
and was home to many families.
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Writer Andy
Andrews and his family
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were among these residents.
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And one day, he found himself
clearing a dead wax myrtle tree
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that stood
dangerously close to his home.
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As he wrestled with the
stump, digging up the roots,
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his spade struck metal, pausing,
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Andrews went down on his knees
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and began to dig up
handfuls of sandy soil
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until he found a
rusted vegetable tin
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sunk deep in the sand.
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Trying open the rusted lid,
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Andrews discovered
a swathe of leather,
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hardened by age
and thick with mold.
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A silver button
tumbled onto the sand
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as he gingerly
peeled back a corner.
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Picking it up, he examined it.
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Noticing the anchor that
was engraved on its face,
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completely
flipping open the leather,
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he found an odd
assortment of objects inside.
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After examining the contents
and doing some research,
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Andrew discovered
that they were objects
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belonging to a
German Kriegsmarine officer,
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the Kriegsmarine or German navy,
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together with the head or Army
and the Luftwaffe or Air Force,
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combined to make up
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the Wehrmacht
Hitler's Nazi armed forces.
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Fascinated by his discovery,
00:08:04.95\00:08:07.28
Andrews began to talk
to the senior citizens
00:08:07.32\00:08:09.85
of Orange Beach
00:08:09.88\00:08:11.52
in an attempt to
uncover as much as he could
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about Nazi Kriegsmarine activity
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in the area.
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During his research,
00:08:18.76\00:08:20.53
he spoke to an elderly couple
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who are members
of his local church,
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identifying them
under the pseudonyms
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of Helen and Joseph Newman.
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Andrew spent several
afternoons with them,
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asking them questions.
00:08:33.44\00:08:35.41
What he discovered
was that the objects
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in the vegetable
tin belong to Yossef,
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and that they had been
hidden on Ono island by Helen.
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The Newman's then proceeded
to tell Andrews their story,
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which he chronicled
in his bestselling book,
00:08:49.79\00:08:52.39
the Heart Mender.
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This story is one
of the most fascinating
00:08:54.16\00:08:57.27
and touching
accounts of human experience
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during the
horrors of World War II.
00:09:00.74\00:09:04.87
Yossef Landman
00:09:04.91\00:09:06.71
was a young
German under Lieutenant
00:09:06.74\00:09:09.18
serving on board
the Nazi U-boat U-166
00:09:09.21\00:09:13.31
under the command of
Captain Hans-G nther Kuhlmann,
00:09:13.35\00:09:17.62
Yossef had studied World History
00:09:17.65\00:09:20.06
at the University of
Oxford on a full scholarship.
00:09:20.09\00:09:23.73
After returning to Germany,
00:09:23.76\00:09:25.49
he found work
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as a high school history teacher
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and married his
high school sweetheart,
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Tatiana.
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A year later, Tatiana gave birth
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to a little baby
girl, whom they named Rosa.
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When Rosa was still a baby,
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Yossef was conscripted to serve
00:09:42.54\00:09:45.18
Hitler's armed forces
that were mastering for war.
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He was given three
days to say goodbye
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to his young family
and report for duty,
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where he was assigned to
the Chris Marina as a cadet.
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He was later
assigned to the U-166
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shortly before it
began war exercises
00:10:03.70\00:10:06.63
in preparation
for active combat.
00:10:06.67\00:10:09.77
Before the U-boat was
deployed to the Gulf of Mexico,
00:10:09.80\00:10:13.48
Yossef went home on
a three day leave pass
00:10:13.51\00:10:17.25
to see his wife and
daughter in May 1942.
00:10:17.28\00:10:22.68
While he was visiting
them on the 30th of May,
00:10:22.72\00:10:26.35
over 1000 RAF
and American bombers
00:10:26.39\00:10:29.86
raided Cologne
dropping bombs on the city.
00:10:29.89\00:10:33.60
When Yossef heard the
drone of the aeroplanes,
00:10:33.63\00:10:36.30
he ran out of
this small apartment,
00:10:36.33\00:10:38.73
to see which direction
the strikes were coming from.
00:10:38.77\00:10:43.47
As he stood on the street,
staring at the darkened sky,
00:10:43.51\00:10:47.61
filled with the inky silhouettes
00:10:47.64\00:10:49.54
of enemy aeroplanes,
00:10:49.58\00:10:51.41
he heard a sharp whistling
over his shoulder turning,
00:10:51.45\00:10:55.75
he watched in
harm as a bomb fell
00:10:55.78\00:10:58.55
directly onto the
apartment building
00:10:58.59\00:11:01.12
he had just come
out of demolishing it
00:11:01.16\00:11:04.03
in a huge explosion.
00:11:04.06\00:11:07.33
Desperately, Yossef walked
his way through the rubble,
00:11:07.36\00:11:11.57
calling out for
Tatiana and Rosa.
00:11:11.60\00:11:14.80
At noon the next day,
00:11:14.84\00:11:16.91
he finally found them both dead,
00:11:16.94\00:11:20.28
Rosa tucked in Tatiana's arms.
00:11:20.31\00:11:23.41
Grief stricken,
Yossef sat beside the debris
00:11:23.45\00:11:27.45
until he was
found by the Gestapo,
00:11:27.48\00:11:30.19
who told him his
primary responsibility
00:11:30.22\00:11:33.39
was to Hitler and his cause.
00:11:33.42\00:11:36.26
They didn't even let
him burry his family,
00:11:36.29\00:11:38.99
but sent him straight back
to serve on board the U-166.
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Before the U-166 was deployed,
00:11:44.73\00:11:47.54
Hitler, along with
Admiral Karl DA nitz
00:11:47.57\00:11:50.97
inspected the
U-boat and its crew.
00:11:51.01\00:11:53.84
There Kuhlmann was
informed by DA nitz
00:11:53.88\00:11:56.91
that they would be
an additional aspect
00:11:56.95\00:11:59.15
to their mission and
an extra crew member.
00:11:59.18\00:12:03.28
Nazi party observer
named Ounce Schneider
00:12:03.32\00:12:07.16
was assigned to the U-boat.
00:12:07.19\00:12:09.19
Schneider would
act as appointment
00:12:09.22\00:12:11.86
for Nazi high command,
00:12:11.89\00:12:13.76
sending and
receiving coded messages
00:12:13.80\00:12:16.80
regarding their
missions in the Gulf of Mexico.
00:12:16.83\00:12:20.70
Schneider had known Landman
00:12:20.74\00:12:23.41
when they were
both students at Oxford.
00:12:23.44\00:12:26.24
While at Oxford,
00:12:26.27\00:12:27.71
Schneider had
attacked a Jewish professor
00:12:27.74\00:12:30.55
in the middle of a lecture
00:12:30.58\00:12:32.21
and Yossef along
with another student
00:12:32.25\00:12:35.15
had hold him away
00:12:35.18\00:12:36.58
before he
seriously injured the man.
00:12:36.62\00:12:39.29
Ever since that day,
00:12:39.32\00:12:41.16
Schneider had
harbored a serious grudge
00:12:41.19\00:12:43.96
against Yossef.
00:12:43.99\00:12:46.49
When they both ended
up on board the U-166,
00:12:46.53\00:12:49.66
Schneider plotted for a way
00:12:49.70\00:12:51.90
to get rid of Yossef
without arousing suspicion.
00:12:51.93\00:12:56.17
On the 19th of July 1942,
00:12:56.20\00:12:59.57
when the U-boat was surface
00:12:59.61\00:13:01.14
for a routine
rendezvous with a supply ship,
00:13:01.18\00:13:04.21
Schneider shot Yossef
in a premeditated attack.
00:13:04.25\00:13:09.32
Yossef tumbled into the
waters of the Gulf of Mexico
00:13:09.35\00:13:12.79
bleeding and
terrified in the darkness.
00:13:12.82\00:13:15.99
The submarine was bobbing
00:13:16.02\00:13:17.96
alongside the
anchored supply boat
00:13:17.99\00:13:20.50
and Yossef managed to hide
in the shadows of the boat,
00:13:20.53\00:13:24.37
grabbing onto one of
the tires tied to its rail.
00:13:24.40\00:13:29.00
When the boat revved
Yossef hitched a ride,
00:13:29.04\00:13:32.64
letting go 30 meters
away from the U-boat.
00:13:32.67\00:13:36.01
He was hoping that the captain
00:13:36.04\00:13:37.95
would turn on the
search light to look for him.
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.82
But the search
light never came on.
00:13:40.85\00:13:43.85
Instead, the submarine melted
00:13:43.89\00:13:46.55
seamlessly
beneath the dark waters
00:13:46.59\00:13:49.49
and disappeared.
00:13:49.52\00:13:51.49
Alone in the water,
00:13:51.53\00:13:53.06
trailing blood
from two open wounds,
00:13:53.09\00:13:55.83
Yossef began to panic,
00:13:55.86\00:13:57.80
fearing an
imminent shark attack,
00:13:57.83\00:14:00.54
but the tide was
rushing back into Mobile Bay,
00:14:00.57\00:14:03.74
carrying everything in
the water towards land.
00:14:03.77\00:14:07.98
Clinging to a piece of timber,
00:14:08.01\00:14:10.15
Yossef allowed
himself to be carried along
00:14:10.18\00:14:13.21
by the tide until
he hit the Dixie bar
00:14:13.25\00:14:16.42
a massive sandbar
not far from shore.
00:14:16.45\00:14:20.22
When Yossef felt
his feet hit the sandbar
00:14:20.26\00:14:23.09
he stumbled towards
shore for 3 kilometers
00:14:23.12\00:14:26.23
before falling
facedown on the beach.
00:14:26.26\00:14:31.27
That night, Helen Mason,
00:14:31.30\00:14:34.04
a young widow was out
00:14:34.07\00:14:35.77
walking on the beach at 2:30 am.
00:14:35.80\00:14:38.97
Helen lived in a little
cottage she had inherited
00:14:39.01\00:14:41.54
from her aunt
00:14:41.58\00:14:42.91
located on the sand
dunes of Orange Beach, Alabama.
00:14:42.94\00:14:47.12
Helen's husband had been
00:14:47.15\00:14:48.98
an American Air
Force instructor.
00:14:49.02\00:14:51.85
Helen and Tyler
Mason had been married
00:14:51.89\00:14:54.59
four months when
Tyler volunteered
00:14:54.62\00:14:58.09
to teach a two week course
00:14:58.13\00:15:00.23
to a detached wing of the RAF
00:15:00.26\00:15:02.40
outside London in February 1941.
00:15:02.43\00:15:06.84
Tyler finished the
training in 12 days
00:15:06.87\00:15:09.80
and was getting
ready to head back home
00:15:09.84\00:15:12.34
when he was killed
in a Nazi Luftwaffe,
00:15:12.37\00:15:14.68
a bombing raid.
00:15:14.71\00:15:16.68
His death left Helen numb
with grief and bitterness.
00:15:16.71\00:15:21.75
She hated America
00:15:21.78\00:15:23.62
for allowing her
husband to go to England,
00:15:23.65\00:15:26.35
and she hated the British
00:15:26.39\00:15:28.19
for not protecting him
while he was in their care.
00:15:28.22\00:15:31.66
But her most bitter rage
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.96
was reserved for the
Nazis who had killed him.
00:15:34.00\00:15:39.33
In the early morning
hours of the 20th of July 1942,
00:15:39.37\00:15:44.74
as Helen Mason
walked on the beach
00:15:44.77\00:15:46.68
near her house,
00:15:46.71\00:15:48.21
she spotted a dark form
00:15:48.24\00:15:50.45
slumped on the
sand near the surf.
00:15:50.48\00:15:53.42
As she came closer,
00:15:53.45\00:15:55.22
she realized it was the
man washed up on the beach.
00:15:55.25\00:15:59.99
The man was lying
face down in the sand,
00:16:00.02\00:16:02.96
blood oozing from
his right arm and leg.
00:16:02.99\00:16:06.29
Helen rolled him on his back
00:16:06.33\00:16:07.93
and looked him over
realizing he was alive.
00:16:07.96\00:16:12.77
She was about to offer him help
00:16:12.80\00:16:15.07
when she took a
closer look at his uniform.
00:16:15.10\00:16:17.77
And it occurred to her
00:16:17.81\00:16:19.57
that he wasn't
an American sailor.
00:16:19.61\00:16:22.74
She asked who he was, and
he gave his name in reply.
00:16:22.78\00:16:28.75
When she pointedly
asked if he was German,
00:16:28.78\00:16:31.69
Yossef had no
choice but to say, yes,
00:16:31.72\00:16:35.46
that single innocuous word
00:16:35.49\00:16:38.29
let loose a storm of
emotion inside Helen.
00:16:38.33\00:16:41.76
Screaming at the wounded
man lying helplessly before her,
00:16:41.80\00:16:45.87
she began to
punch him in the face
00:16:45.90\00:16:48.10
and pummeled his
wounded shoulder.
00:16:48.14\00:16:51.51
She accused him of
killing her husband,
00:16:51.54\00:16:54.01
as she directed
her pent up anger
00:16:54.04\00:16:56.88
to the wounded sailor,
00:16:56.91\00:16:59.18
Yossef Landman lying
impassively on the beach,
00:16:59.21\00:17:03.12
as Helen assaulted him.
00:17:03.15\00:17:05.29
Finally, physically
unable to punch him anymore
00:17:05.32\00:17:09.62
Helen crawled away from
him and collapsed on the sand,
00:17:09.66\00:17:14.10
sobbing hysterically.
00:17:14.13\00:17:17.77
When she had finally calm down,
00:17:17.80\00:17:20.30
Helen tried to figure
out what to do with Yossef.
00:17:20.34\00:17:23.94
Should she kill him?
00:17:23.97\00:17:25.64
She didn't have
any weapons on her.
00:17:25.67\00:17:28.34
She seriously considered
00:17:28.38\00:17:30.05
dragging him back into the surf
00:17:30.08\00:17:32.35
and holding his
head beneath the water,
00:17:32.38\00:17:34.82
but decided that she didn't have
00:17:34.85\00:17:37.02
the energy to do it.
00:17:37.05\00:17:38.82
Finally, Helen decided
to turn him into the police
00:17:38.85\00:17:42.99
the next morning.
00:17:43.02\00:17:45.09
Having formulated a plan,
00:17:45.13\00:17:47.50
Helen shakily got to her feet,
00:17:47.53\00:17:50.10
and began to walk
back towards her cottage.
00:17:50.13\00:17:53.13
When the man's quiet voice
00:17:53.17\00:17:55.57
drifted over the
pounding surf to reach her,
00:17:55.60\00:17:58.87
apologizing for the
loss of her husband.
00:17:58.91\00:18:02.08
He then began to cry,
00:18:02.11\00:18:04.48
a horrible whale
that filled the air,
00:18:04.51\00:18:07.95
and rose heaving
against the roar of the waves,
00:18:07.98\00:18:12.75
lying on the beach,
sobbing in anguish and shame
00:18:12.79\00:18:16.62
Yossef Landman
called out to God,
00:18:16.66\00:18:20.33
repeating the names
of his wife and daughter
00:18:20.36\00:18:23.16
over and over
again in the darkness.
00:18:23.20\00:18:26.67
Helen stood there watching
him until he had calmed down.
00:18:26.70\00:18:32.14
He asked Helen for
her husband's name,
00:18:32.17\00:18:34.68
and Helen gave it to him.
00:18:34.71\00:18:36.75
Then, without much thought,
00:18:36.78\00:18:38.85
she walked over to him
and grabbed him by the collar,
00:18:38.88\00:18:42.25
jerking hard and
commanding him to stand up.
00:18:42.28\00:18:46.76
Struggling Yossef
managed to get to his feet.
00:18:46.79\00:18:50.76
Helen steadied them both,
and then commanded him to walk.
00:18:50.79\00:18:55.10
Bewildered, Yossef asked
00:18:55.13\00:18:57.27
where they were going
and Helen pointed her chin
00:18:57.30\00:19:00.20
in the direction of her house.
00:19:00.24\00:19:03.17
Together, they ambled along,
00:19:03.20\00:19:05.91
Yossef leaning
heavily on Helen for support.
00:19:05.94\00:19:09.58
Why are you helping me
00:19:09.61\00:19:11.68
Yossef asked
breaking the silence?
00:19:11.71\00:19:14.82
Who said I was helping you?
00:19:14.85\00:19:16.79
Helen shout back
00:19:16.82\00:19:18.29
as she navigated the
sandy path home would.
00:19:18.32\00:19:22.86
When they reached her cottage,
00:19:22.89\00:19:24.76
Helen left him on the
bottom step of her home
00:19:24.79\00:19:27.56
and told him to
get up the stairs
00:19:27.60\00:19:29.66
and into the house.
00:19:29.70\00:19:31.37
She then left for work.
00:19:31.40\00:19:33.54
When Helen
returned home from work,
00:19:33.57\00:19:36.04
she found Yossef
lying on the bathroom floor,
00:19:36.07\00:19:39.17
still in his wet clothes,
and burning up with fever.
00:19:39.21\00:19:44.21
Schneider's bullet
00:19:44.25\00:19:45.75
had slice clean
through his shoulder,
00:19:45.78\00:19:48.18
leaving a gaping
exit wound on his back,
00:19:48.22\00:19:51.25
but no broken bones.
00:19:51.29\00:19:53.39
Helen tended to Yossef's
wounds as best she could,
00:19:53.42\00:19:56.96
and left him on her couch,
00:19:56.99\00:19:58.89
where he remained
deliriously calling out
00:19:58.93\00:20:01.96
for his wife and
daughter for several days.
00:20:02.00\00:20:05.07
Then one day Helen returned home
00:20:05.10\00:20:07.70
to find Yossef recovered
and sitting on the couch
00:20:07.74\00:20:11.51
in a tiny living room.
00:20:11.54\00:20:14.01
He was polite and courteous,
00:20:14.04\00:20:16.24
and something about his manner
00:20:16.28\00:20:18.28
prevented Helen
from turning him over
00:20:18.31\00:20:20.25
to the authorities.
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.32
Yossef remained
in Helen's cottage,
00:20:22.35\00:20:24.92
where they
maintained an uneasy truce
00:20:24.95\00:20:27.19
until one evening,
00:20:27.22\00:20:28.82
about a month
after she found him
00:20:28.86\00:20:31.26
things took a dramatic turn.
00:20:31.29\00:20:34.53
They were out
walking along the beach
00:20:34.56\00:20:36.53
one evening in August,
00:20:36.56\00:20:38.30
when Helen asked
Yossef if he missed his wife.
00:20:38.33\00:20:42.80
Yes, I do.
00:20:42.84\00:20:44.54
You miss your
husband, don't you?
00:20:44.57\00:20:46.68
He asked.
00:20:46.71\00:20:48.04
Aghast, Helen
stared at him for a moment
00:20:48.08\00:20:51.71
before saying but
it's not the same.
00:20:51.75\00:20:55.38
Why is it not the same?
00:20:55.42\00:20:57.39
Yossef asked quietly.
00:20:57.42\00:20:59.59
Because my husband
is dead Helen responded,
00:20:59.62\00:21:03.63
then it is the same Yossef said.
00:21:03.66\00:21:08.46
It was only then
00:21:08.50\00:21:10.20
that Helen realize that
Yossef's family was dead.
00:21:10.23\00:21:14.17
With tears
streaming down his face,
00:21:14.20\00:21:16.94
he recounted the events
00:21:16.97\00:21:18.37
surrounding
their deaths to Helen,
00:21:18.41\00:21:20.58
and then collapsed
onto the sand weeping.
00:21:20.61\00:21:24.75
Helen sat beside him
00:21:24.78\00:21:26.65
a gentle hand
on his heaving back
00:21:26.68\00:21:29.25
in quiet solidarity.
00:21:29.28\00:21:31.55
Finally,
regaining his composure,
00:21:31.59\00:21:34.92
Yossef looked up at her
00:21:34.96\00:21:36.89
and told her that he
knew that he must forgive her
00:21:36.93\00:21:40.16
and those who had
taken his family from him.
00:21:40.20\00:21:43.67
We are the product
of our past, he said,
00:21:43.70\00:21:46.87
but we don't have
to be prisoners of it.
00:21:46.90\00:21:50.97
Confused, Helen asked him
why he needed to forgive her.
00:21:51.01\00:21:55.94
And he responded by telling her
00:21:55.98\00:21:58.45
that as surely as
Germans had killed her husband,
00:21:58.48\00:22:01.72
Americans and their
allies had killed his wife.
00:22:01.75\00:22:05.75
Incredulous and incensed,
00:22:05.79\00:22:08.49
Helen insisted that her husband
00:22:08.52\00:22:10.86
had nothing to do
with the RAF and the allies
00:22:10.89\00:22:14.06
bombing the city of Cologne.
00:22:14.10\00:22:16.97
Yossef listened to her quietly
00:22:17.00\00:22:19.33
before standing up
and glaring down at her.
00:22:19.37\00:22:23.10
He acknowledged that
the RAF had bombed Cologne,
00:22:23.14\00:22:26.34
and then pointed out to her
00:22:26.37\00:22:28.44
that her husband
had trained the RAF.
00:22:28.48\00:22:33.01
Over the months that followed,
00:22:33.05\00:22:35.08
Yossef moved out
of Helen's cottage
00:22:35.12\00:22:38.29
into a smallest
squatters cottage
00:22:38.32\00:22:40.59
along the beach.
00:22:40.62\00:22:42.42
Their friendship developed
00:22:42.46\00:22:44.29
and both of them learn to
forgive not only each other,
00:22:44.33\00:22:48.73
but also those who had
taken so much from them.
00:22:48.76\00:22:53.64
In order to hide
his German origins,
00:22:53.67\00:22:56.60
Yossef Landman changed
his name to Joseph Newman,
00:22:56.64\00:23:01.84
and adopted the cover
story and an English accent.
00:23:01.88\00:23:05.81
He and Helen fell in love,
00:23:05.85\00:23:08.05
and were married in 1947
00:23:08.08\00:23:10.99
well after the end of the war.
00:23:11.02\00:23:15.19
Yossef and Helen
story is remarkable,
00:23:15.22\00:23:18.19
not only because of
the unusual circumstances
00:23:18.23\00:23:21.46
surrounding how they met
00:23:21.50\00:23:23.30
and developed
their relationship,
00:23:23.33\00:23:25.47
but also because
of the very essence
00:23:25.50\00:23:27.67
of their story.
00:23:27.70\00:23:29.40
At the very
heart of their journey
00:23:29.44\00:23:31.14
as individuals,
and as the couple
00:23:31.17\00:23:34.21
is the story of
restoration and forgiveness.
00:23:34.24\00:23:38.55
In the book he
wrote about their story.
00:23:38.58\00:23:41.12
Author Andy Andrews says this.
00:23:41.15\00:23:44.09
Sometimes, we
attach our entire lives
00:23:44.12\00:23:47.49
to the moment we were hurt
00:23:47.52\00:23:49.56
and allow it to define and
consume our very existence.
00:23:49.59\00:23:54.36
Our hurt continues to
live until we forgive.
00:23:54.40\00:23:59.47
Helen was consumed by bitterness
00:23:59.50\00:24:01.90
after the death of her husband.
00:24:01.94\00:24:04.04
Yossef was filled with grief
00:24:04.07\00:24:06.81
after the senseless
deaths of his wife and child.
00:24:06.84\00:24:10.45
Each of them had to
choose to forgive those
00:24:10.48\00:24:14.02
who had taken so much from them.
00:24:14.05\00:24:16.65
It was not a case of
managing their anger.
00:24:16.69\00:24:19.59
This simply cannot be done.
00:24:19.62\00:24:22.02
The key to their restoration
00:24:22.06\00:24:24.43
lay in their
willingness to forgive.
00:24:24.46\00:24:28.43
But forgiveness is not something
00:24:28.46\00:24:30.73
that we can do on our own.
00:24:30.77\00:24:33.03
The Matthews proverb
tells us that to err is human,
00:24:33.07\00:24:37.37
but to forgive is divine.
00:24:37.41\00:24:40.21
And indeed, it
takes a supernatural act
00:24:40.24\00:24:43.24
of divine grace
00:24:43.28\00:24:45.01
to empower us to
forgive and not only forgive,
00:24:45.05\00:24:49.55
but to surrender the
past and experience healing.
00:24:49.58\00:24:53.99
The Bible gives us
some incredible exhortations
00:24:54.02\00:24:57.49
and assurances
about forgiveness.
00:24:57.53\00:25:00.60
Ephesians 4:32 says this,
00:25:00.63\00:25:04.87
"And be kind to one another,
00:25:04.90\00:25:06.94
tender hearted,
forgiving one another,
00:25:06.97\00:25:10.14
even as God in
Christ forgave you."
00:25:10.17\00:25:14.31
We're also given the
secret to accomplishing this
00:25:14.34\00:25:17.55
in Philippians 4:13.
00:25:17.58\00:25:21.08
"I can do all
things through Christ
00:25:21.12\00:25:23.72
who strengthens me."
00:25:23.75\00:25:25.82
You see, God is
the greatest forgiver
00:25:25.85\00:25:28.09
of all time.
00:25:28.12\00:25:29.82
His ability and
willingness to forgive
00:25:29.86\00:25:32.46
those who have
hurt Him, betrayed Him,
00:25:32.49\00:25:35.36
and taken so much from Him,
00:25:35.40\00:25:37.77
far surpasses
anything we can ever imagine.
00:25:37.80\00:25:41.64
And that is why
we should turn to Him
00:25:41.67\00:25:44.27
with the pain and
bitterness of our past,
00:25:44.31\00:25:47.28
asking Him to help us do
what we can never accomplish
00:25:47.31\00:25:51.41
on our own.
00:25:51.45\00:25:53.65
If you'd like to
let go of the past,
00:25:53.68\00:25:56.02
and face the future with hope,
00:25:56.05\00:25:58.22
if you'd like to experience
inner peace and happiness,
00:25:58.25\00:26:01.52
if you'd like to cast all
your burdens on God today,
00:26:01.56\00:26:05.49
and find true peace
and healing for your heart,
00:26:05.53\00:26:08.56
then I'd like to
recommend the free gift we have
00:26:08.60\00:26:11.80
for all our incredible
journey viewers today.
00:26:11.83\00:26:16.30
It's the booklet,
Forgiving the Unforgivable.
00:26:16.34\00:26:20.64
This booklet is our gift
to you and is absolutely free.
00:26:20.68\00:26:24.98
I guarantee there are no
costs or obligations whatsoever.
00:26:25.01\00:26:29.28
So make the most of
this wonderful opportunity
00:26:29.32\00:26:32.69
to receive the gifts
we have for you today.
00:26:32.72\00:26:37.23
Phone or text us at
0436 333 555 in Australia
00:26:37.26\00:26:43.20
or 020 422 2042 in New Zealand,
00:26:43.23\00:26:48.17
or visit our website tij.tv
00:26:48.20\00:26:52.17
to request today's free offer
00:26:52.21\00:26:54.14
and we'll send it to
you totally free of charge
00:26:54.18\00:26:56.98
and with no obligation.
00:26:57.01\00:26:58.78
Write to us at GPO box 274,
00:26:58.81\00:27:01.88
Sydney, New South
Wales 2001 Australia
00:27:01.92\00:27:05.59
or PO Box 76673
Manukau, Auckland
00:27:05.62\00:27:10.46
2241 New Zealand.
00:27:10.49\00:27:12.59
Don't delay,
call or text us now.
00:27:12.63\00:27:16.90
If you've enjoyed our
journey to Cape Hatteras,
00:27:16.93\00:27:19.33
on the Outer Banks
00:27:19.37\00:27:20.94
and Orange Beach
in the Gulf of Mexico,
00:27:20.97\00:27:23.71
along with our reflections
on the priceless gift
00:27:23.74\00:27:26.37
of true forgiveness,
00:27:26.41\00:27:28.18
then be sure to
join us again next week,
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.21
when we'll share another
of life's journeys together.
00:27:31.25\00:27:34.68
Until then, let's
ask God to lead us
00:27:34.72\00:27:38.12
to find real meaning
and purpose in our lives
00:27:38.15\00:27:41.19
and inner peace
and lasting happiness.
00:27:41.22\00:27:44.59
Let's pray.
00:27:44.63\00:27:46.86
Dear Heavenly Father, we
all face challenges in life.
00:27:46.90\00:27:51.23
And we often
struggle to forgive those
00:27:51.27\00:27:53.30
who have hurt us.
00:27:53.34\00:27:54.94
But, Lord, may we remember
00:27:54.97\00:27:57.24
that we can only find real peace
00:27:57.27\00:27:59.77
when we turn our pain,
00:27:59.81\00:28:01.54
bitterness and
our past over to You.
00:28:01.58\00:28:05.48
Please grant us the
inner peace and happiness
00:28:05.51\00:28:08.52
that comes from knowing
00:28:08.55\00:28:09.88
that You're in
charge of our lives
00:28:09.92\00:28:12.12
and that You will care for us.
00:28:12.15\00:28:14.59
Please bless us now we pray.
00:28:14.62\00:28:17.23
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:28:17.26\00:28:20.26