above and beyond   pownews

stalag XVII-B cont.

       Only days before these pictures were taken we met 4000 Hungarian Jews who were under armed guard and marching west towards the Russian Front. They were living skeletons in black and white striped suits with the Star of David. We passed many dead ones on side of the road. They had been shot because they were lagging behind or walking too slow. Ox carts followed and their bodies were being tossed on them to be carried away. (Click on "The Hand.")

    This was the part of the war that most of us will never forget, nor forgive the Nazis for this outrage against humanity.

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    American Armed Forces truly saved the world during those war years. In the Air, on the Land, and on the Sea, tens of thousands of young Americans paid a terrible price (Over 400,000 Americans died. Many more were wounded, and/or taken prisoners of War)- and all of the American Ex-Prisoners of War who I served with have the scars to prove it. There is not a man or women alive today, in any part of this world, who is not the beneficiary of the disabling wounds, starving, death, and untold sacrifices that was endured by our armed forces. All of us have every reason to be proud when we say, God Bless America.

   We ran out of food days before these photos were taken. Many of us left our groups and went out to find food at Austrian homes. Many of them didn’t have any more to give. Some of us joined Gypsy bands in the area. They gave us baths and what little food they could spare...Later, on the same day President Roosevelt died, radio messages were received from U.S. Troops for us to rejoin our groups where they could find us.
   In mid April of 1945 over 4000 men from Stalag XVII-B—in groups of 500 - were force marched from Krems, across Austria and reached Braunau, Austria (Hitler’s birthplace) where we were liberated on May 4, 1945.
            Almost 30 years later the Stalag XVII-B Association was formed and has been holding Reunions ever year since. This year, 2005,  in May it will be held in Nashville, TN. May 1-4, 2005. (ABOVE ARE ACTUAL PICTURES TAKEN ONLY DAYS BEFORE WE WERE LIBERATED.)

TO SEE INFORMATION ON REUNION  Click here for Reunion