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Soon our orders came to go. I couldn’t begin to tell you how excited| I was. I was a very proud American by that time, and I was doing something that it was high time we were all doing it together. I was surrounded by people with whom I already had a lot of experiences, and this camaraderie that we had, I guess it’s what only happens in wartime. I felt that I was going to show those German sons of bitches what we could do—we, that motley crew from America, that nobody believed could do a damn thing except build automobiles. I wanted to stand on top of my jeep and shout, “Hooray!”
Soon our orders came to go. I couldn’t begin to tell you how excited| I was. I was a very proud American by that time, and I was doing something that it was high time we were all doing it together. I was surrounded by people with whom I already had a lot of experiences, and this camaraderie that we had, I guess it’s what only happens in wartime. I felt that I was going to show those German sons of bitches what we could do—we, that motley crew from America, that nobody believed could do a damn thing except build automobiles. I wanted to stand on top of my jeep and shout, “Hooray!”


Somehow I was the driver of our jeep. Our team consisted of two complete units made up of six people: [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Ist Lt. Rudy Freier]], 2nd Lt. Michaels, Sgt. Karl Smith (AKA Karl Goldschmidt), Tech. Sgt. [[Slade, John H. (32885570)|John Slade]], Sgt. Wilder, and Cpl. Jancowitz. Freier, Slade, and I were always teamed together. The jeep had a trailer that held all our work material including desk, typewriter, etc. Our weapons consisted of one Thompson submachine gun for each jeep, and each of us carried a Smith and Wesson .45-caliber automatic pistol. With these, we drove onto an LST to go to France.
Somehow I was the driver of our jeep. Our team consisted of two complete units made up of six people: [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Ist Lt. Rudy Freier]], 2nd Lt. Michaels, Sgt. Karl Smith (AKA Karl Goldschmidt), Tech. Sgt. [[Slade, John H. (32885570)|John Slade]], Sgt. Wilder, and Cpl. Jancowitz. [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Freier]], [[Slade, John H. (32885570)|Slade]], and I were always teamed together. The jeep had a trailer that held all our work material including desk, typewriter, etc. Our weapons consisted of one Thompson submachine gun for each jeep, and each of us carried a Smith and Wesson .45-caliber automatic pistol. With these, we drove onto an LST to go to France.


On the first day out in the channel, it was Rosh Hashanah and I made up my mind that we were going to have Jewish services, We had our army- issued prayer books and the word spread. t was unbelievable. It seemed as if the whole LST became Jewish. I suppose when in danger, when we all pray to the same God, but I am sure half or three-quarters of my “congregation” were Christians.
On the first day out in the channel, it was Rosh Hashanah and I made up my mind that we were going to have Jewish services, We had our army- issued prayer books and the word spread. t was unbelievable. It seemed as if the whole LST became Jewish. I suppose when in danger, when we all pray to the same God, but I am sure half or three-quarters of my “congregation” were Christians.
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For the most part, I was very gratified to see captured Germans. I’ve always said there is no one who rules as harshly and no one who crawls so low as the Germans in victory and defeat. But I didn’t have rage, I just felt that they had stolen my country away from me, they forced my father to go to some crazy place called Palestine, and I knew we couldn’t let these people run the world, that’s for damn sure.
For the most part, I was very gratified to see captured Germans. I’ve always said there is no one who rules as harshly and no one who crawls so low as the Germans in victory and defeat. But I didn’t have rage, I just felt that they had stolen my country away from me, they forced my father to go to some crazy place called Palestine, and I knew we couldn’t let these people run the world, that’s for damn sure.


One day Freier and I were going in the jeep through an area that had been infiltrated at night by Germans and bang—a bazooka shell whizzed by us and hit an embankment we were passing. It was luck. Freier couldn’t hear out of his right ear after that, and to this day he collects disability from Uncle Sam for this souvenir. Only one of us became a causality. One day, Jancowitz drove his jeep over a mine and it killed him. He had just gotten married before we went overseas.
One day [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Freier]] and I were going in the jeep through an area that had been infiltrated at night by Germans and bang—a bazooka shell whizzed by us and hit an embankment we were passing. It was luck. [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Freier]] couldn’t hear out of his right ear after that, and to this day he collects disability from Uncle Sam for this souvenir. Only one of us became a causality. One day, Jancowitz drove his jeep over a mine and it killed him. He had just gotten married before we went overseas.


As the war came to a close, we were in Tann, Germany, near the Alpine region where Hitler’s troops were supposedly making their last desperate stand. When we were advancing, the front lines were rather fluid and I was bored and wanted some excitement. Freier and I went south and saw a German soldier with a pistol. I stopped the jeep, disarmed him, and asked him where the American tanks were. He said we were the first Ammies he had seen. The next town was Landshut, so I asked him if Landshut was in a defensive position. He said there were no troops there. So I said, “The hell with it, let’s capture a town.” After all, we had a submachine gun and two 45s. Freier thought I was nuts, and was probably thinking of his wife. But I prevailed—maybe he had a little spirit in him after all—and we took off.
As the war came to a close, we were in Tann, Germany, near the Alpine region where Hitler’s troops were supposedly making their last desperate stand. When we were advancing, the front lines were rather fluid and I was bored and wanted some excitement. [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Freier]] and I went south and saw a German soldier with a pistol. I stopped the jeep, disarmed him, and asked him where the American tanks were. He said we were the first Ammies he had seen. The next town was Landshut, so I asked him if Landshut was in a defensive position. He said there were no troops there. So I said, “The hell with it, let’s capture a town.” After all, we had a submachine gun and two 45s. [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Freier]] thought I was nuts, and was probably thinking of his wife. But I prevailed—maybe he had a little spirit in him after all—and we took off.


At the beginning of town, we stopped some rather frightened Germans, who told us that there were no German troops in town. So we sped to the town square for reassurance; I held the submachine gun—not much help against a good sniper. Out of the bakery came a bunch of French slave laborers. We were their first liberators. Our fun seemed short-lived, though. From the other side of the square appeared four German soldiers with rain ponchos over their shoulders. I could not see their hands, so I took out my automatic.
At the beginning of town, we stopped some rather frightened Germans, who told us that there were no German troops in town. So we sped to the town square for reassurance; I held the submachine gun—not much help against a good sniper. Out of the bakery came a bunch of French slave laborers. We were their first liberators. Our fun seemed short-lived, though. From the other side of the square appeared four German soldiers with rain ponchos over their shoulders. I could not see their hands, so I took out my automatic.
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Our liberated Frenchmen scattered, but our luck held. Up went the four Krauts’ hands. I relieved their sergeant of his Lugar. (I gave it to my son later on.) As we left town, we had one Kraut on each fender and one in the rear, to discourage snipers. The streets and windows were festooned with white flags made of bed sheets. Landshut had surrendered to the U.S. Army. When we got back to intelligence HQ, I looked at the map and told them they could move the pins twelve miles farther south to Landshut.
Our liberated Frenchmen scattered, but our luck held. Up went the four Krauts’ hands. I relieved their sergeant of his Lugar. (I gave it to my son later on.) As we left town, we had one Kraut on each fender and one in the rear, to discourage snipers. The streets and windows were festooned with white flags made of bed sheets. Landshut had surrendered to the U.S. Army. When we got back to intelligence HQ, I looked at the map and told them they could move the pins twelve miles farther south to Landshut.


This episode is not glorious, but like many things war is no fun, and when I hear about “atrocities,” we committed our share. Those who condemn others, just remember that no matter for what reason, man’s inhumanity to man is never justified. Half of our team—Freier, Slade, and I—was running a POW camp of thirteen thousand for which we had the responsibility to weed out SS and other criminal types, and then send the regular POWs to their home as expeditiously as possible. Usually this was by army truck to about thirty or fifty miles from their home, at which point they had to walk or hitchhike the rest of the way, since there were no trains yet and there was no gas for civilian vehicles like buses or cars.
This episode is not glorious, but like many things war is no fun, and when I hear about “atrocities,” we committed our share. Those who condemn others, just remember that no matter for what reason, man’s inhumanity to man is never justified. Half of our team—[[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Freier]], [[Slade, John H. (32885570)|Slade]], and I—was running a POW camp of thirteen thousand for which we had the responsibility to weed out SS and other criminal types, and then send the regular POWs to their home as expeditiously as possible. Usually this was by army truck to about thirty or fifty miles from their home, at which point they had to walk or hitchhike the rest of the way, since there were no trains yet and there was no gas for civilian vehicles like buses or cars.


The other half of our team—Michaels, Jancowitz, and Wilder—was in charge of a collection place about thirty miles farther south. They were to send any POWs as quickly as possible by truck for processing. The reason for all the rush was simple: food. The U.S. Army never realized that within a few short weeks, hundreds of thousands of Germans would give up. Obviously, they had to be fed prior to processing. We, in our camp, had a simple solution: one to three horses had to be delivered daily to the camp to be butchered. Obviously that, in combination with whatever flour and vegetables could be acquired, was the POW diet. So, unless we wanted a bunch of wild POWs, we had to process quickly. It all went well, and everyone was moderately content. One day, a fairly high-ranking Nazi was brought to me. After asking him a couple of questions, all of the sudden he popped something in his mouth, fell to the ground, and in an incredibly short time—probably less than a minute— was dead. He had a cyanide capsule, which many of these people were provided, just like Goering who took the same route.
The other half of our team—Michaels, Jancowitz, and Wilder—was in charge of a collection place about thirty miles farther south. They were to send any POWs as quickly as possible by truck for processing. The reason for all the rush was simple: food. The U.S. Army never realized that within a few short weeks, hundreds of thousands of Germans would give up. Obviously, they had to be fed prior to processing. We, in our camp, had a simple solution: one to three horses had to be delivered daily to the camp to be butchered. Obviously that, in combination with whatever flour and vegetables could be acquired, was the POW diet. So, unless we wanted a bunch of wild POWs, we had to process quickly. It all went well, and everyone was moderately content. One day, a fairly high-ranking Nazi was brought to me. After asking him a couple of questions, all of the sudden he popped something in his mouth, fell to the ground, and in an incredibly short time—probably less than a minute— was dead. He had a cyanide capsule, which many of these people were provided, just like Goering who took the same route.
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* [[Introduction]]
* [[Introduction]]
* [[Contents]]
* [[Contents]]
* [[Freier, Rudolf C. (01581135)|Rudolf Freier]] (soldier page)
* [[Slade, John H. (32885570)|John Slade]] (soldier page)


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[[Category:The Stories]]
[[Category:The Stories]]
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