The War: Michigan Stories; #23: Harry Bellows, Ernst Floeter

OK well get started first. If you could tell me today. Spell your last name. Harry Jonas Mello's b e l l. What number House. What's your birthday. To 18:26. OK. I'll get to the real stuff. What are you doing with that. What do you definitely doing less on drafted after you remember. In February. Forty five OK. And then you went to training. I know that's not really what you got when you get change in Texas. Camp Walters Texas. OK. Where do you go from there. No. They let me come home for a few days and then they sent me to Fort Ord California and from there we loaded troop ships and headed on out. We thought the war was over. Other people have different opinions.

This was I think May or June if i guess thinking a lot over the years that MacArthur wanted wanted us as occupation troops because the war was nearly over. We got into just a little bit of it and more of them to lose. And it was a desperate move. The Japanese part they were trying to get in the Green Valley which is north of us. They were starved to death. And my division Oh Michigan Wisconsin National Guard. But by that time it was all mixed up. But my division and the 25th Division

were coming up 25th was coming up Highway 5 driving and get back up and we were a little over 30. Truly a terrible terrible place. We finally got to the top of the head of the Japs. We lost eight hundred and fifty some men killed going up that delivery trail or twice wounded. And we got to the lady pass was the name of it we got to blady past and closed it so couldn't those damn Japs get in there. Well that's about it later on a little bit later on. That was 1 am when she walked out and surrendered to the 1:27 Regimental Combat Team which

is one of my units. They were starving to death up in there because they couldn't get any merchant ships and submarines were sinking as fast as they could find them. And that was about the number right there. Let's back up just a little bit if you don't mind those 800 people. Tell me what it was like in that situation. Tell me what it was like. All I can ask you not to move that card. OK. OK. What was it like for you. No I didn't get there. OK. I didn't get there till the very last. OK I can get you to stop that. You're making noise. I know that a lot of rules out there. And what was happening.

When I got there it was sent in patrols to see if you could bust a hole through it and get into Grand Valley and that's where I got into combat. We will kill them off as fast as they come at us and then. That's where I experience in war. And after that we just sit tight because we had a lady pass closed and it wasn't very long after that. And she came out. And walked on the hills and wanted to surrender. Well the rest of that story is. General Homer. Was the instigator of the 10 death march. And when other use other soldiers captured him

and mine MacArthur took the sword that Yamashita had in his family for 600 years and he held Shia responsible for leveling Manil he was not supposed that would've been declared an open city a long time ago. But it was flat a Japanese Navy in and achieved camogie couldn't they wouldn't pay any attention to him and sheeter Hizbollah's be in charge of them. The Agno went right ahead and leveled it and killed hundreds and hundreds of Filipinos. So when MacArthur finally got a whole general home on Bataan Death March which she is

responsible for leveling them down a little. Hundreds of Filipinos. He stood bulls all up against the wall and how that would shock the American public never knew that. Did you see it. No I did not. They were not allowed were in Canada. It scared the hell out of you. Nothing but scared me. Is nothing to tell you watch out. Look look. Watch my clock for your buddies and for the enemy and your scared and lonely guys. No wonder we laughed about it later and went to pains. But that's all right. We hung out.

We kept our line we didn't let it go through us and we lost men every day because the Japs keep pushing and trying to get through the pass and we'd bang them back and that's where I got in on it. We'd bang them back and we killed several Japs every day but we kept them back and never made it through blady pass. So we were all happier than hell and they said the war is over. I'll tell you and then I said you gotta take all these prisoners that are going to surrender. So they started coming out after the embassy has surrendered. There were several thousand of them going through a place for scared them

on down the trail and finally came to the end. The Colonel wanted us out of there. So MacArthur told him give the Philippines all extra weapons and family guy and get the hell down at Lingen beach and we did. And the Filipinos finished off the Japs. The ones I starved to death if they couldn't move the Japs and kill them and their own people and they couldn't walk. They'd kill their own people. The Filipinos had a balls shooting Japs for six months. Then we got down to a little game and golf on the beach. You never know anything what the hell you're up to. They don't explain anything to you.

They're not supposed to either. You're just a dumb soldier. Well what they had in mind force. Were going to be occupation troops which is a mighty risky thing and they knew it because they going to send combat guys right into the heart of Japan. That could have started the war all over again. Well he got loaded up on a troop ship and that was the roughest damn war. When we went by sight than we were in three columns the ships and when one column was down you couldn't see the other two. That's how rough the water was. That we got up and

I'll use you which is a southern island and we unloaded that name now. But they had trains or I don't work on the train but they took us doctrine's they took us through through the tunnel. And to shew where we were going and when we got to Honshu our trucks were there and our trucks we didn't know what they took guys out of our companies when they just didn't show up one day and nobody knew where the hell they were or what they'd sent them on. And boy one of them when I've been in their shoes. But they were up there to pick us up.

There isn't any transportation up there. They were going right into the Devil's Nest and the Japanese people came down to the train station some moment and just stood and looked looked and looked and looked. They wanted to see what we look like. We were there but so that was how we went. And they took us up to an aircraft factory had one side of the roof was on. And we didn't have any water that we brought on shipboard and we had fuel rations and we were there. Now all aircraft factory for two days and winter is running out of water and they will let us drink.

Tap water. What the hell was it. I never would be. So in my life and the farm boy I'd never seen this one day here comes a truck for five guys on the well-drilled. I never knew the army. Well grillers I didn't know what the heck they were doing. They started driving around on more and also water well in just about an hour and we put it in our water bag we had always had and put stuff in it to purify it. We had good drinking water. Our own army did. I didn't know he had six people hell. On wheels on board ship. The captain came on the horn Leonard for MacArthur and he stayed. MacArthur stated

that anybody that kill a Jap national wouldn't be summary court martialed and discharged and imprisoned. He didn't want to start a war over again. That's what it meant. So that was the tricky thing here. You had these combat guys that just didn't kill he is not a Jap. It would hurt us. But they like kill him and then you know there wasn't any instant instances of any thing like that going on. But we didn't have ships enough to get those boys home. And I guess they were in Europe finally begin to get some ships over there and get those combat guys that had the most. That's what

pissed me off. They won't want to combat this thing. While I was on the tildes at any rate you know that's how it worked and they sent the old boys home. And. One day I went up to see my buddy up to Osaka. This was later on after we'd been there all six months. And he took me around. I got the pictures to show it. They showed me the cemetery. There were 2000 of our fliers buried there. Thousand people didn't know what was going on back here in the state. Just Ehrmann Neulander they were just Sheil air to the island.

And President Truman stated long about that time that any American servicemen will not stay buried on enemy soil as soon as we got ships available they'll all be sent home. It was good to know that they wouldn't leave them on enemy soil and well. We didn't have any trouble with the Japs. In fact that's the funny thing. About Jap's they hate losers. And I've seen a man or woman Veltroni just tell does still on some army stuff. I seen a man or woman go up spit on me. Is a loser. The Japanese government had a law that you couldn't go only

about 15 miles into the interior. Foreigners couldn't do that. They always said out when we made a shambles out of that damn law we ran patrols all over the country looking for guns and arms and ammunition and rights and rights. The Japanese people were starving to death. The rice crop was a failure as the draw here. Forty five years of drought year for them and they were running on a rise. The Army had all the rights that they could get. Waiting for us to invade. So some of our officers got smart and sent us patrol the pictures that sent us out looking and we followed the rice the farmers had it. We went up our. Trucks in

bags and we took all what we wanted. We left him enough to get through the year where we took the most massive white Why didn't just sell it is that I don't want I don't want the money money or I want material things they don't want money. How. From then on from that point on. And the same bought November 45. Now this is Mendelsohn's American public doesn't know. When President Truman found out they were starving to death over there. Here comes the shipload the Louisiana writes and PM sees the light out to work on all the work detail health about once a week for every 10 days we'd have to go down to the dock and unload that American rice. And we fed

that came in from other states doing this that the Wherever we fed the Japanese people the whole damn nation we fed them for till their next rice crop and 5:46 was came on American people don't know we fed our enemies for a year. They don't know and they never heard what I did. I was there. LOL are all big ships that come in there and they just lure them and big bags of rice down and we found out another funny thing. We would take it to the police station that was always a central point and distribute to get them out. C'mon c'mon. They're scared to death. They're cops they're cops we're the same as Gestapo Germany. They were scared to death when MacArthur got word that he can dare but tell the Japanese cop to stay

the hell away from everything stand your stay in your barracks don't even come out. OK that helped a little but it was still we couldn't talk to only we couldn't write their name down and he couldn't do anything to distribute it. I asked how many in your family. So guess again what MacArthur did I have the greatest regard for that man and I know he had a huge ego but so what. He got a whole bunch of nice city in California and they were sent there and they were wearing American uniform. Hell they were soldiers who were using Niti means to in Japanese. So when they fell out with us and we come a rice day and they fell out with us troops.

They always had a troop or two of their rifles and got the Japs and look at them looking and looking and looking. And it didn't take a while was they had never seen a Japanese face in American uniform they could talk their language could write their language. They never ever heard of those guys from California. It was nice he would talk to them right down in his and your family with your names. And they said be here next week. All right. Well I haven't. You're going to get something to eat. Know it was the boys from California. They were Japanese that couldn't you know what I mean. Second generation are these the boys

and we got a kick out of it too. They were just the same as the rest of us and they can put it on a little bit over the damp cough. Go jump in the ocean take a hill away. And here we don't want around here at all. And they didn't it was us our troops in an easy boys on rice day. And boy they got rights and they got written down and they got the names of the family. And so the rise was apportioned out to how many were in the family. And that went on. HALL Some are now you do well know the American public doesn't know that we fed our enemy for purty near a year. We fed our enemy. Were you injured. You're 12 13 months.

Like when you didn't. What was it like when you left me. No I liked it there are some people who are friendly. They never caused us any trouble what so ever. I was on the train guard. Me and my buddy from New York or a co-worker in New York were trained guards and we were supposed to keep the train of food coming into our regiment. We had 45 was boring as hell nothing to do. We shot up all emanation it grows. And there wasn't anything else to do is out of ammunition and the Japs didn't bother. They knew where the hell I would go on. I laid down on a couch and pulled my hat down and went to sleep.

It was kind of cold in the fall. And some of the ones I got worn wondering how will jackets work. I was in the train conductor came down through the train and saw me asleep on that bench. He took his raincoat off and laid it over me. He could have cut my throat. And he came back in the morning and pointed and I said arigato I got a dummy that got the nigger isn't but that's we ran into good people there. So is it fair to say you had read about Japanese people from when you first went to Japan. Oh yes.

Yes. They were our enemy. We never saw civilians in the mountains there on a bill over the trail. It was all war. We've got Japan and it was peace and MacArthur wanted to camp out. We got all of our troops sent home as fast as the ships are available and we got to cemetery's unloaded as fast as available. And we wanted things quiet and he instigated a new constitution and that rubbed a lot on source because he gave the women the right to vote. He insisted on so many of them in the diet so many women in the diet and Boysen a little Jap men were ego testin. You know what I mean.

Wailing women are way down here in Japanese society but they weren't when they dealt with my gardener. Then they had to have the idea Aleck's all men and women into the diet which is their government diet their government. Well after that after they found out they didn't have to walk behind the man and you didn't have to stay in line behind the man. Things are different. They like it. Why not. That's not what we grew up with. Nothing new to us but it does happen. And they would smile and they would teach us words if we trying to figure out something they would tell us a word to speak so that we could speak what we wanted. And no I enjoyed it very very much and I didn't have anything to do with the combat troops. I

didn't want to. Most of them disappeared and I went back to firemen or are they were starving to death and they were trying to get somebody they just disappeared. But anyhow I never saw people dying of starvation in their view. It's not a pretty sight. They didn't have anything to eat to start. I can go back a ways. We got our knees in there and got our rice ships coming in there. They were they were written like hogs for anything. And. It didn't make me feel very good. We gave away what we could. Hell we had EDAR sails. We let them come in and dip the garbage pails. And they were glad to do that Helge eyes roll away more than eat. And then

we let them do that come in from the villages and if place close enough to walk in and they dip our garbage pail and they didn't have anything to eat. I'd never seen people set right beside as close as you and I are a family member. Eat and never offer anything. Nothing feels a sort of slap at either good oh. That's how vicious starvation can be. They were starving. We had a truck. I call them sexualising. Civilians don't know what I mean but those what we call them sick by trucks and twin axles. And we went out every day and picked up starving people right at the first. And we had a big building that hadn't been flattened.

We took them in there and found them and there was this little girl that had lost her family. She didn't have any anybody. I mean I picked her out like she would lean over and back. I went over there was this little girl. She was still conscious when I picked her up. They took her over to the Zic. Why. Get her out to the north you can get something get her out of here. And they did it right out of there quick as a wink and took her to this building and got some nurses in there and they started giving their fluids. And inside a 10 day week 10 days oh she was all happy. She'd see the eyes and see smiling from ear to ear. And I wrote my mother

about it. And she sent over two or three yards of material to make a dress and we got some of the Japanese kids all like crazy. We found the places where they. They were all good with the sewing machine and the women were. We found a woman to make a dress for that little girl and she survived. All right. I saw it later on I knew she was going as she was getting getting her rice. But that's how it was all right at first. They were starving like crazy all over. They couldn't feed themselves. And I started and I think that in a way that was good.

Pardon. I said I think that's good. I think we're done unless you have something that you think I need you now. Well there's this story in all those pictures but I don't want to bore you to tears. That's why I brought in so you could see them again. That was very good. That we said Okay first I an ounce and s t w f l o e t e out of Florida. What's your birthday date of August 1925. So you have a little different story than most people. Yeah. How you got where we are. In the rubble look out. 1939 and I've heard of that. My father convinced me that Germany will not bring the war to Coogler

up and shoot me. France England Beck as the United States and you said look at that. Look at Germany. We will never win the war to the end. We didn't we didn't like that system either. But then I was 14 years or as I made this secret wish if Germany would last that long. That has to be kind of a prison. So then I want to fight against British get caught get to Canada and what ever happened in my life from that point on was all you get. At the end. Bizarre to come as a prisoner of war to America by the Americans was what I was as funny as I was not like and then 19 then in 1942 my father was a dentist and one of his clients was a gentleman coming in and he knew this. I just grabbed myself and I started getting from

your father game 1942. My father was a dentist and one of his clients was a gentleman Kerman and you knew exactly our political situation. He taught me urch me to volunteer for German army blenched because you're And it's only five will be drafted by s s s s and this as the enemy has nothing to do with them. So I volunteered for the German army corps. I got accepted and then I. I was in Germany most of them tend to be from 10 years to 14 years. You are a member of Hitler. The young folc and then him by the age of 14 who should automatically switch over to the Hitler Youth and Hitler youth have all DiVall and branches like Army and Air Force and Mordheim and all that stuff.

So nobody from my friends belonged to the organization. My point was that anti-Nazi. And then in 1943 when I had to join my teens for three months I got a letter from that headquarters that I as a member of Hitler used to have to. Part with as headquarters. So my mother opens the letter and in the meantime. I became quite a member of an adult group and she went to my speaking there and she said no no your son belongs to my you and his mother repeatedly. So that kept me out of his ass. And then I suppose in general as was in 1943 and then I got my stint as I ever since I got my induction notice for the German corps for the honor for the 20th of August 1914 so the

two days before I got sick so my father called the hospital a doctor came out to save me from that date and that and it was immediately put into Poland fighting fighting against Russia. So I had about one and a half months time and then I was drafted into the infantry seignior Corps. And in the boot camp in Dantzic where they could dance out and pleasure. So I then that was my time there and I was a stupid soldier. I made all the mistakes I could make. I was the bane of my size and he hated me I hated him and that was all again designed for the outcome. 19 Then 1944 in his time he came to selection for special advanced courses. So the guys from our company didn't qualify. I was one of them. The VC ended up in Normandy and

suggested on pull over as I know they are all dead and missing the stupidity in your lives. And though I came to the Normandy and first to bumhole down it mind you first learning division and heatless bill the the toward toward that we are selective to avoid exciting mission but it is I cannot tell you. I just would like could. But you know there will only be in L.A. and in England. Idiotic idea. So at first of May we got under-10 ended up in the in the play time Santa there and left out in the country like and luggin boondocks. And then after 10 days you got on a train and I've been to Normandy and then he toward us you know the Allies didn't. We know we don't know when but whenever the weather is favorable before landing you have to you have to

watch this guy for two hours every night. So we did it. And. And I thought that was like a calm company. But then then the command staff needed a telephone man. So I got that job and that was another nice thing for my hit my life. So I got sent in an eye for three weeks. Parks the sky every night. Nothing happened. And finally and then and the night from the fifth to the sixth of June nobody was watching. The weather was bad. Everybody was supreme command. He was in Berlin celebrating his wife's birthday. And then they came and we ran. And the people were about 30 miles east of Omaha Beach south of Cherbourg. And we were right under the incoming 47 airplanes which stopped our troops. So we were happy. And then the

invasion started times and waiting was over. And then and the nines in the morning we went to the front there was formed like the Americans were sitting all over the middle of the country side by the nine in the morning. I got my baptism. And and our division commander of US kids of us day and hour. They imagine men and division just annihilated almost immediately. And he told me a lot of stuff. And I want to hear a little bit more about it. Tell me a little bit more about when you realized it was the Allies were they were you were you know it finally happened. Yeah. Oh there's something more than that. Well. It was. I was living in a tent. But then 10:30 I woke up it was a horrible noise in the air and I looked out. They came in these hundreds of airplanes

over and I remember asking us first personally Zazi were in London for a big day. But then because I was busy regiments that by 12:00 they announce the invasion have started. So one unit I like did was put out immediately but then next morning we had to we had to demolish all our telephone lines which we laid before cut and cut and run in here. And on the other hand I suppose the best way. So you meet on these immediately for the siege and the American bomb does the day that all over the place over the sky. And David came down went for a soldier I still had my my of him take him down and it never bothered me. I said. And then.

And then on the eights. We had to pick up and went to the front line then and he and then then somebody found out found out a message by an American. The next morning we had a we had to dig in bigger because a foxhole. And then I was next morning I had to search for five American soldiers a prisoners to use to frisk them. And I felt sorry for them. I wish I could speak English spoke English then that would say something nice to them. And then then suddenly the Americans came with a mortar fire so we can't fix fixed foxhole. And that was my beginning of my Gluyas campaign. And so you are in your foxhole mortars and they mortar as well I think rather the foxhole was very very very shallow but they seem to have lost everything. Together with them as a

body and as in some Mankin head us is like a sniper fire they close but nothing did. They didn't hit as a whole. But the bad one wasn't. But from here to you that was close to someone and then suddenly we saw the German army retreating like a chaotic scene. Somebody called out get up and get down. So I had I didn't hit my helmet. So I kept the hand of him detriments toward his head and hit something. I am dead after about 20 minutes running and I have looked around me and there was nobody I knew. So I went back all the way back. I came home with a beautiful nine nine doing some Humani head and a big spear shooting. The birds were singing. So I went back to my helmet and some of the Asians. And then I found my

unit and then every night we had to dig every one find a place be dug us in and then we got mortar fire from morning to night and then not even if we hate to use it again. So that's been up almost to the 70s of you and what we were being shelled mortars. What was what was going on was there. Well. I spit and then I was to get that is my sergeant his name was Phifer. And one time I got him through the glass to the glass and hit me and I saw first nothing to it. But then I got a load lifted. I've been got a little hat on in my seat and stone had a big piece of shrapnel hit my back. Who I trusted in the flesh for. So I went over to our cost man and he put a

make him put powder on it and bandaged and that and that took care of that. And then he tweeted again and again seeing places I was in charge of Sajda you know every side of every farm has hot side and sweet side. So I found out the benevolence of Sajda. And my two other canteens from my body. I went to a farm. They're drinking they're happy. In the meantime American slaves the town whose the village said. So nothing happened to me. I came back at my. Side and came back to my unit. And then in the evening we visited again to another place and the woodman and and and and and I'm too. This was the 11th of June 30th of June. We.

Beat the Street in a big like the a big monastery. And I had my head my my fuck sort of us like state beautiful FoxxHole. But in the evening somebody came everything to get out of his house. That means Americans are coming. So Vietnam and here and down the incline. And they shoot the shadows that Taser's is rather scary. I took cover behind the head though and I got this happen without my support. And as it happened I saw that it was my last my last and now. But then when they came to my senses I got up and I wanted to end this way down. And somebody kept me by my collar. There was nobody around and I finally got into my unit. So then we then view in a way get get get away. Now we got away from there.

And then our command Major and one of the big crossroads he called out OK here come here to rejoin us and then then that was so teens for teens the same thing 50 and then we just you know just come of age of outfit's infantry artillery and air force. But we you ended up in six minutes of this and I mean it seems of June our commander said OK take cover in Normandy is halfsies hetero's the way I in basic and nobody knows what's going on. So he said Take cover. I'm a Aborigine and he fell asleep. And that night by 7:00 somebody came come on Americans I hear so in the meantime just haunted us all the way and they shot over. I hollered. It was hilarious. It could have killed us very easily.

And and after a while. And one of our that's called our stand up and shoot but instead somebody took his talent out of his knapsack and started to wave and out of that corner to him as G.I.. Come on. So I got up my first and my first idea of us having sex no more. That's why I asked who my wife was that really gave me didn't work. I never had to shoot anybody I was happy. He shot at me but I never had to shoot him to make it. So I saw everything down there and then we got upset in a long long line of state that we see in the Beckwith's then and of us one make him who spoke fluently German. He hollered at all of us but not us. And then after a while they came the first and asked to see the G.I. in front of me was a mother

with a small guy and you've been to my pockets and had little good luck peace and his heart. I'm a grown ass at something and French police say let's move this year. The last one in French. Would so kind and give it back to me when you picked it up from the floor and put it in my pocket. So I had the best impression of American soldiers from the second man. He treated as fantastically he killed or wounded first and then the two of us and we were never doing all my time as a prisoner. You never accosted or any mishandling by him by any Americans. So he got up there and then after a while we had to march into the ditch and and and we had put up a hand like this. And a hat and behind band of other guys were the pistols.

And though I had faith in Americans they wouldn't shoot us but we were told don't don't get caught they're making it killing you. So. I had reason to make him because it made me at my enemies my enemies rather as the Gestapo the pub the party and the Americans. And after a while at some stupid movement my grandmother slipped down like this. So I said well if I put my glasses I'm by myself I'm gone. They will shoot me and never let my glasses go. This. I got a vigorous them and I put back him back and put it back in my nose. So did the best impression. And then we ended up next day on Omaha Beach and I came over and we came over the dunes and I saw the beehive of the landing place down there and I thought if Germany can't sing we can win the war in.

And that was amazing. This is incoming and incoming and outgoing play. So you said we have four days on Omaha Beach and had to go for one day. I had a chance to be in a MASH unit or a hospital on a hill and we had a great time there. So the food waste is a waste of food has a man in the eyes. And we found that boxes fit to open up take one out. And so in a way I had my pockets full of cigarettes and then we had lunch there and the first morning break and lunch and at first and tested history. Yes. Did you get other prisoners with. Yeah we were. Yeah. Did everyone feel the same way you did.

No. You never talked about it. I never knew. Even in boot camp we never talked about anything pulling. Our boot camp because we've never agreed that we had hit. Always good morning to you. Good evening to you guys. And you know there is animosity between the S and the army. There was had nothing to do with as we had never at one minute of been out of indoctrination never was completely neutral the Army at least what I've been through so you are you never talk about politics is that if you talked about politics and just sets a wrong thing and somebody denounced you. That was the end of your life. So every once every month the end get the list of German soldiers who were executed for desertion or undermining the mortality. If you said

something about a party or as a boss let's forget it. That was your out medically. And we lost. Yeah. So we'll never never know. But and then and then then. Than I him here finally to make here his first visit to England after. Four four days of under the British and the budget is nothing. Not much to eat. And they see it as a when you vote. Then they finally came back to their Mankins like homecoming for me near Manchester. And the kitchen she taught us we know you will me but we cannot give you enough food. But soon you and I may have ever seen. So on the 1st of July we went to Liverpool and there was a big line as I continue living lying five winning flights. We got

in the boat and then you got us down and eat the egg and the lowest deck and then we started a journey to over the pond and ended up on a trove of Dune in New York. And my wish to come to music to your other prisoners. They could have been there was no no. But you never said you'd never be on a boat. We played black. You have two minutes here to to blesh all the time. We could be on deck for every day for 45 minutes. And it was a very high C. And if you see and you know the saying If you are sick and you spit against the wind you get what you deserve. And this happens and the boat took them out the guys and got sick at the wrong

side of the wind and bingo. So finally we came to New York and then we spent one day in Ellis Island. And Khloe are you and your father is cooking a second time and the best thing was that everybody got a shower. It got hit by a big mouth soap in the towers. We could shower for show in three months. So and then and after this we get to the doctor. And the experiment examined. And then we got shots on both sides against industry. And one of them was sick and then we made us dig out our clothing bag and evening we went. We went over to Hoboken and there was a beautiful train like for us supposed to put them on train and we ended. Our trip to UPS there and next morning I woke up I saw the form of it and I go far and suddenly I saw the British flag

and not knowing that we are crossing Ontario. I said I haven't seen one doesn't do with interest. I wonder. I want to go to the United States. And finally we ended up in Detroit and ended up in Fort Custer. I'm certain of of July 1944. It was a beautiful day and there was this theatrical compound and headed toward us the do's and don'ts of The Prisoner of our that. One thing was stay away from the farm that funds the fence. Take a happy Texan a present and don't remove the screens from your windows and you have evidence hygenic ways to have new movies and be good any insects. And we've got new uniforms. And then we were interrogated by an American officer about our personal staff and he asked me what is your

profession. I said I'm a student that I don't believe it. I'm a student he said. Did you let him and a little in Germany every Latin student has to memorize this first sentence of the Belem garlic home. So I did. Scalia's on obviously rhythm part is two pages long sentence which I believe you and there's VI after him didn't even think him the biggest question what do feed us here so we can engage in the big screen. And then he blew the whistle and we marched into the mess hall and the tear was for fear it was all stuff and that boys get ready for seconds. So it could not have him much better. You were ever come into contact with any civilians. Only when I've worked yeah. In Illinois I've looked in a continuity and there was that many Germans in that area or

anywhere near Peoria. There were many Germans over there and I make my camp in Illinois was what you'll hear. Carla you college presuming been to school and then have six six weeks. We worked on Kennedy and in the evening we said hello and then phone saying or German songs and the drums came by the hundreds he plucked up the streets and cried and this was like a vacation for us. And this for me the food was fantastic. The weather was great. It was nothing to it. And then we came home there. He ended up in Fort. And if I could ever look for it can you potato harvest for they could use candy company. And then after then Debbie asked Guardsman's know what we know. We would just come to an end and we would end up somewhere. So we ask him what happened.

And one guy told his whole story about cotton picking and how horrible that is. And the hot and and so on. So we ended up in Ellies and when we came to him Elly's and we were the first transport from home faggot's and we were greeted by the German pleasant boss from the Africa Corps who got caught fire from the Fatherland a year before with your communist traitors you cowards. They believed Germany's meanings on what you read in a newspaper. He is our lives and when we came we taught him the devil and he said OK we will give your name to the Gestapo. After our victory the end via means like Hamlet you might lift more. So we had to keep our mouths shut. But I found a nice a nice guy he said but to me what can I do for you he said. When you pay XTO and the head Handy's was sitting at the end of one the kidneys and

never in German English dictionary and a little Zepps addiction he bought it for me and they were my most precious possession on my time. So let me get this straight. There were American soldiers and the British soldiers civilians the ones who treated you worst. The other German Yeah yeah yeah. And the Nazis and Cuban Nazis. Even the better ones. And what did you. We only had about a minute or two. Oh what where did you find out you could stay where. Men go. I'm on the displaced person and I found many Romany. I live in first and then went to West Germany an evacuee in effect to the there and have found a fellow who had his

immigration papers coming. So I went to him and if hung out I could who I could we could emigrate to a special immigration program. So we came here and then a 57 was sponsored by the Aussie a pitch for church and about OT in East Lansing. And he came here and he had ever seen virus. In 1960 we moved out to letch opened up my studio there and we never had one second that we came here. We think it was a dream come true. And I have seen sieged see children of him and they are all living in legend. And my daughter is a sort of is a national guard so that we could not have any better day. Ok that was good that was a good story. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. That happened in New Mexico as a cotton

picker