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.
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.
