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Chicago Tribune March 13, 2002 -------------------- WALTER J. ROCKLER, 81 Nuremberg prosecutor, activist lawyer, mentor -------------------- "The attack on Yugoslavia constitutes the most brazen international aggression since the Nazis attacked Poland to prevent `Polish atrocities' against Germans," he wrote in a 1999 Chicago Tribune commentary, adding, "The United States has discarded pretensions to international legality and decency and embarked on a course of raw imperialism run amok." By Shia Kapos Tribune staff reporter March 13, 2002 It was only by chance that Walter J. Rockler saw the ad seeking lawyers to prosecute World War II criminals. He was studying for the bar exam while visiting his family in Chicago and he needed a job. The son of Russian immigrant parents went on to prosecute bankers and industrialists who collaborated with the Nazis and to a legal career that spanned five decades. Mr. Rockler, 81, died Friday, March 8, at his Rockville, Md., home of lung cancer. The University of Chicago and Harvard Law School graduate became a lawyer because he saw it as a good way to "better himself and provide for his family," said his daughter, Julia Tillery. Midway through law school, Mr. Rockler enlisted in the U.S. Navy and learned Japanese so he could work in intelligence interviewing prisoners. He thought the language training would make him a good candidate to prosecute war criminals, but instead of using his Japanese language skills, the government sent him to Nuremberg, said his daughter. It was while in the courthouse in Germany that he met his future wife, Aino, who worked punching ration cards. They eventually settled in Chicago, where Mr. Rockler worked as an attorney. Later, the couple moved to Washington, D.C., and Mr. Rockler became a prominent tax lawyer. In the 1970s, he headed a Justice Department probe of people living in the United States who were suspected of having been Nazi war criminals. And during the recent Balkan war, he criticized U.S. involvement in bombing of Serbian and Albanian villages. "The attack on Yugoslavia constitutes the most brazen international aggression since the Nazis attacked Poland to prevent `Polish atrocities' against Germans," he wrote in a 1999 Chicago Tribune commentary, adding, "The United States has discarded pretensions to international legality and decency and embarked on a course of raw imperialism run amok." In the 1970s, Mr. Rockler joined the legal team representing the Wilmington 10, nine black men and a white woman who were charged with firebombing a food store during a week of racial violence in Wilmington, N.C. The 10 were sent to prison while insisting they were framed. Mr. Rockler felt strongly that the group was telling the truth, said his daughter. So he joined the legal team representing them and helped get the convictions overturned. "He had the feeling in his heart he had to do something because it was wrong," said his daughter. "He knew they needed better representation." Mr. Rockler never shied away from a challenge, and he enjoyed a good debate. "He liked to use hyperbole to engage a discussion," said friend and former colleague Nancy Abramowitz. "He liked the engagement." Mr. Rockler also enjoyed teaching others his craft. "He was always willing to reach out to take younger lawyers," said Abramowitz. "He always had time for people." Other survivors include three sons, Elliot, James and Nicolas; a brother, Allan; and nine grandchildren. Services will be held March 22 in Washington, D.C. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
