War Orphans

There is often a great deal of blood shed due to war, and there are always people left to grieve for them. There have been many children that became orphans due to wars that have taken place over the course of history. One of the most memorable events in history that lead to orphans in huge numbers is the destruction of the Jews by the Nazis. Men, women, and children were separated and taken to various concentration camps.

Some were killed immediately in gas chambers while others were made to work. They had very little food or water and they worked very long hours. They had no idea what had happened to their families. Upon the release of those still alive, it was a very difficult process to find those that were their family. Even though there were registries it could take months for the information to be matched up.

Sadly, many orphans of the war found they had no parents to return to. The majority of them were looked after by other men and women who also survived. They werent about to leave these children behind to fend for themselves. Yet it was difficult to find a way to provide for all of them as well. Many of the Jewish orphans ended up migrating to Canada to make a life for themselves.

In the early days of war, only the males would go into battle. Yet children still became orphans when their mothers were killed by accident or due to an illness. There were also times when towns and villages were attacked with hundreds of adults being killed. The result was countless children that were all alone to care for themselves.

Today both men and women can serve in battle. There are times when both parents of children are deployed at the same time. This increases the risk of them becoming war orphans. While there are certainly more programs in place today to help care for children in such instances, it is still a very traumatic event for them. The guidance and love of other adults have often be what it takes to help war orphans to find the strength to move forward with their own lives.