Cato Bontjes Van Beek Flying Against The Wind

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Despite being warned, Cato Bontjes van Beek continued to help many people selflessly. She was born on November 14, 1920 in Fischerhude Germany. In the biography, Flying Against the Wind by Ina R. Friedman, this young woman never accepted the idea of the Nazis taking over Germany. She had a great goal in life, and it was to become a skilled pilot, like Amelia Earhart and various other famous pilots. But as she grew up, she gave up her ambition. Instead, Ms. van Beek devoted her life doing many things that Hitler would have frowned upon, like providing a refuge for an innocent Jew and her equally innocent family and even providing food and supplies for the French prisoners of war. She later joined a resistance group against the ruthless Nazis. Unfortunately, she died a pitiful death in her twenties on August 5, 1943, in the terrible Plotzensee Prison. One day, she and her colleague in the resistance were taken to jail and convicted of treason against the Nazis. Later, they were sentenced to death. Grievously, she was executed. Since the hardships and risks Cato had to face, her optimism and courage…show more content…
Even when she knew that she would not be able to live long and she was to die in an awful prison, she sang “Silent Night” and other Christmas songs aloud to give every prisoner more courage. She wanted to pass on her happiness and hope to all the other unfortunate people in Germany.“Now every morning and every evening, Cato stood before the barred window, her voice reminding the prisoners that there was such a thing as Christmas” (Friedman 142). Cato was always full of hope, but when she knew for sure that she would not survive, she wanted to pass her hopefulness to her fellow prisoners. She was almost always optimistic about her and her colleagues’ plans in the resistance against the Nazis and was sure that they would succeed. In all, she was a woman who raised spirits every

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