Battle of the Bulge POW "Split wood all day, burned wood all night..."

An Uncle of mine was captured early on in Bastogne I believe Oct. 43', he eventually came home raised a family and lived a long prosperus life. He was a City kid he grew up in upper Manhattan and went to George Washington High School. I know for sure he never handled an axe until he found himself captured. A few times in my life I can remember him telling his POW story as the family gathered around intensely listening. One thing he always commented on was what the Americans had in common with the Germans, my Uncle himself came from a home where both his parents spoke German. During the Christmas of his captivity he told of how they brought chocolate and cognac to the troops, not a lot but everyone got a taste. During the winter he was in captivity they all did the same thing day after day, they split wood to keep themselves warm at nite, the POW's split all the wood for the entire prison camp. I don't mean the romanticize the time as a lot of captured US Servicemen suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

Today while wrapped up like a mummy, freezing and splitting my fire wood, these memories of my Uncle's stories kept going through my head. Tonight as I sit here warm, again I think of them. Its darn cold in the Northeast tonight, I'm glad men like my Uncle served and continue to serve to keep us all safe @ home.

god bless all that have served and those still serving..america rocks thank you all..

Warm story. Thanks-
Kenny

This kind of post is why this forum is the first thing I read every am. Thanks for sharing, it's all about perspective isn't it...

thanks for posting this one. My uncle was over there as well. Not the same place though but similiar stories. I usually start mydays in this forum as well.

And here in Maine German POWs were being put to work . . . I know my great grandfather had German POWs who would come to his fields (I believe they came down from The County POW camps in Houlton and elsewhere) to help pick the crops. My dad said his grandfather later admitted to sharing some home-brewed booze with the POWs after a hard day's work even though it was against the rules.

Gotta love those enlisted men,irregardlous what war or branch they served in.