Prisoner of war experience

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Crowley, Daniel End of the War and Leaving Japan
In 1944, Daniel Crowley was a prisoner of war and worked as a slave laborer in a copper mine in Ashio, Japan. He was...
Moret, Calvin Enemy POWs and Bigotry
When Calvin Moret was at Godman Field near Fort Knox [Annotator’s Note: Kentucky], he noted that Italian and German...
Baum, Irving Engineering The Great Escape
When tunneling Tom, Dick, and Harry [Annotator's Note: Tom, Dick, and Harry were the codenames for the tunnels being...
Gaj, Leonard Enlisting, England, and D-Day
Leonard Gaj enlisted in March 1943 because he thought it was his duty to protect the United States of America. It was...
Holt, Thomas Escape and Return to US
Thomas Michael Holt was in a prison camp [Annotator's Note: Oflag 64 in Szubin, Poland] that the Germans decided to...
Poulson, Ernest Escape and Returning Home
Ernest L. Poulson was able to escape from Romania when a Romania officer used a German plane to fly him and other...
Pickens, Olin Escape from POW Prison
[Annotator’s Note: After being captured in North Africa by Germans and sent to Italy,] Olin Pickens boarded an...
Molen, Herman Escaping
Herman Molen stockpiled things they needed for food. This helped them on their escape [Annotator’s Note: they escaped...
Langrehr, Henry Escaping from the Germans
A friend of Henry Langrehr's, Jim McMillen, had been beaten up badly by a German guard with a club. The SS [Annotator's...
Rinas, Bruno Escaping the Bataan Death March
Bruno S. Rinas remained in Mariveles [Annotator's Note: Mariveles, Luzon, Philippines] for a day before being marched...
Baum, Irving Evacuating the Camp
Winter started and around October or November [Annotator's Note: October or November 1944] and Irving Baum [Annotator's...
Scott, Donald Evacuating the Prison Camp
Donald Scott, a prisoner of war in Germany, describes being able to hear the guns of the Germans attacking the...
Bollich, James Evacuating to Bataan and POW Experiences
James Bollich had just gotten back from the movies when he heard about the attack at Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note:...
Knutson, Caroll Evacuation March Preparations
By the end of January 1945, Carroll Knutson could hear the artillery fire in the distance as the Soviets advanced into...
Langrehr, Henry Evading Recapture and Back in American Hands
Henry Langrehr had some near misses while evading recapture [Annotator's Note: after escaping from a prisoner of war...
Whitman, Philip Evasion and Capture
[Annotator's Note: Philip Whitman bailed out of his Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber over Vienna, Austria on 13...
Doolan, Robert Evasion then Capture
[Annotator's Note: Robert Doolan was a navigator on a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber that was heavily damaged...
Inghram, Robert Execution of Captured Escapees
Robert Inghram learned that 72 of 75 of the escapees were captured. The senior German officer, named Lindeiner [...
Stein, Murray Experience as a POW
Murray Stein remembered the Germans told them to dismantle their weapons, then forced them to march for about six days...
Leibold, William Experiences in Ofuna
[Annotator's Note: William Leibold served in the Navy as a Chief Boatswain's Mate and made all five war patrols aboard...
Faust, Virgil Experiences in Stalag XVII-B
In the prison of war camp [Annotator’s Note: Stalag XVII-B, Krems, Austria], Virgil Faust learned to play the card game...
Costa, Anthony Fall of the Philippines
[Annotator's Note: Anthony Costa begins this segment by discussing his transfer to Japan aboard one of the prisoner of...
Hall, William Feelings about the Japanese
William Hall had no extreme feelings about the Japanese even though he knew some of the harsh and brutal things they...
DeMott, Joseph Feelings Toward the Enemy
A few days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Joseph DeMott saw the devastation. With five battleships sunk or...
Freeman, Bradford Fighting at Bastogne
Backing up to his experiences in Eindhoven [Annotator's Note: Eindhoven, Netherlands], Bradford Clark Freeman took no...
Moss, Roy Fighting in France
Roy Joseph Moss kept advancing toward Leon [Annotator's Note: Léon, France] where the Germans were strongly positioned...
Derrington, Clarence "Earl" Fighting in France and Becoming a POW
Clarence Derrington entered France [Annotator's Note: with the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division on 22...
Finkbeiner, Theodore Fighting in Holland After Operation Market Garden
Theodore Finkbeiner and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd...
Cowell, Ernest Fighting in the Philippines
Ernest Cowell was first sent to Ulithi [Annotator's Note: Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands], an atoll in the Pacific...
Womack, Charles L. "Red" Fighting on Okinawa
Charles Womack saw many civilians on Okinawa. The civilians would bow as the Marines passed by them. Womack's unit [...
Jenkins, Samuel Fighting the Germans and Being Captured
Samuel Jenkins does not remember hearing the fire fight in the next town over because of all the shelling in his...
Derrington, Clarence "Earl" Fighting the VA for POW Benefits
Clarence Derrington decided to become a leader in guiding legislation for former prisoners of war. Their rights were...
Smith, Eben Final Mission and Capture
Assigned as a B-24 [Annotator's Note: Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber] pilot, Eben Smith arrived first in...
Stovroff, Irwin Final Thoughts
Irwin Stovroff and about 200 or so Jewish POWs [Annotator's Note: prisoners of war] had been separated by their German...
Bergbower, Harold Final Thoughts
Harold Bergbower learned to appreciate life and Uncle Sam as a result of his experiences in World War 2. He has felt...
Ram, Walter Final Three Missions
Walter Ram and his fellow crewmates had to wait for another airplane before continuing their bombing missions. A female...

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