This picture shows three Danish soldiers on April 9, 1940, as they tried to defend Aabenraa, the town that can be seen in the background. The soldiers failed their mission, as Aabenraa was easily taken, and a 17-year old civilian from the town was the last fatality on the Danish mainland. This Aabenraa resident was documenting the invasion by taking pictures of the Germans as they marched into the town. A German officer spoke to the young photographer, ordering him to stop taking pictures immediately. One of the few town residents who was not bi-lingual, the young man snapped another picture, and a German soldier killed him with a machine gun burst.

Meanwhile, the German Navy scattered mines in Copenhagen's harbor and carried troops to that city, while German paratroopers took the air base at Alborg.

At 7:20a.m., two hours after the invasion had begun, King Christian X spoke to his subjects on the radio and begged them to stop resisting the invaders and to not allow additional deaths of Danish citizens.

My mother was 11 years old when the Germans invaded her country. Her family, especially my Uncle Gustav (age 16 at the time) and Uncle Herman (age 19 then), knew the young photographer who was the last fatality in their hometown. What my mother and her fellow Danes experienced on April 9, 1940, has stayed with those who are still living.

Danes, some say, are natural-born storytellers. Apparently Hans Christian Anderson came by his gifts honestly. In any case, my mother began sharing her stories with me when I was younger than four, and she edited very little. I cannot remember a time when I did not know the story of the German invasion of Denmark, of the young photographer's death, and of King Christian X's eloquent plea to and for his people.

On April 20, 1940, Christian X began his personal resistance to the Germans, which the Danes who were alive at the time still claim gave their citizens courage to resist their occupiers more actively. Lowry's book makes the connection to the King's inspiration clear. Annemarie compares her efforts and the efforts of her Uncle Henrik, who smuggles Jews to Sweden on his small commercial fishing boat, to the daily rides of King Christian X.

The entry, Copenhagen Rides, tells the story of King Christian X's daily trips around Copenhagen.