65 years later, the suvivors of Stalag 17B gather for ceremony

[babylonsister]

65 years later, the suvivors of Stalag 17B gather for ceremony

Video at link~

By Lorena Anderson | The Sun News


In his still-affected hands and feet, Charles Vogel bears a daily reminder of the year and 14 days he spent in the Stalag 17B German Prisoner of War Camp in Krems, Austria.

His extremities were damaged by the bitter cold as he shared barracks built for 240 with thousands of other captured airmen.

He still remembers the weeks-long, 281-mile forced march across Austria as Russian forces closed in on the camp that began 65 years ago. The men slept wherever they could and ate whatever they could find, including grass.

"I swiped a chicken one night and slept on it all night so I could cook it the next morning," Vogel said. "It was the toughest chicken I ever ate."

The prisoners were eventually rescued from the Germans by Gen. George S. Patton's men.

It is to the memory of Vogel's service, the service of the 900 survivors of Stalag 17B and the memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for the country that the American Former Prisoners of War gathered Sunday for a prayer ceremony.

more...

http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/05/03/1454158/reunited-in-prayer.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. wow......................

[HereSince1628]

2. One of my grade school classmates had a dad who was in S17

Mark was never allowed to get near anything that marched or wore uniforms.
From kindergarten to High School the only thing that was ever said was his dad had been a POW in Stalag 17.

Very sad.

[virgdem]

3. My Dad was in Stalag Luft 3...

the American camp that was associated with the Brits portrayed in the movie The Great Escape. As an officer, he was treated somewhat better than the enlisted, but it was still no picnic. To this day, he will say very little about his experiences, so I know that it was really a bad experience. He was also liberated by Patton.