The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Karl Goldsmith: Difference between revisions
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'''Karl Goldsmith, Eschweige, Germany, 142 Interrogation of Prisoner of War (IPW), U.S. Army, European Theater of Operations''' | '''[[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]], Eschweige, Germany, 142 Interrogation of Prisoner of War (IPW), U.S. Army, European Theater of Operations''' | ||
'''Soldier page:''' [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]] | '''Soldier page:''' [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]] | ||
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Karl Goldsmith was born Karl Goldschmidt in 1921 in the Hesse region of Germany in a town called Eschwege. After Kristallnacht, he immigrated to the United States in 1938 where he finished high school in Upstate New York. Upon graduation, he was accepted to Cornell University, where he studied agriculture until being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942. Goldsmith trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland as an interrogator of prisoners of war and landed in France with his small unit, 142 IPW, in September 1944. After VE Day, he was appointed military governor of his hometown of Eschwege. The photograph above (Goldsmith at left) is during his service in the American Military Government, Germany, 1946. | [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]] was born Karl Goldschmidt in 1921 in the Hesse region of Germany in a town called Eschwege. After Kristallnacht, he immigrated to the United States in 1938 where he finished high school in Upstate New York. Upon graduation, he was accepted to Cornell University, where he studied agriculture until being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942. Goldsmith trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland as an interrogator of prisoners of war and landed in France with his small unit, 142 IPW, in September 1944. After VE Day, he was appointed military governor of his hometown of Eschwege. The photograph above (Goldsmith at left) is during his service in the American Military Government, Germany, 1946. | ||
To understand what went on in Germany in the 1930s, history books are of very little use somehow. They cannot grasp the reality of a single life or that of a family. William L. Shire’s book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, is about as accurate of a chronicle as I have read. However, to tell a personal story is different. Not as earth-shaking perhaps, but probably a bit sadder. In retrospect everyone’s vision is 20:20, but it seemed utter nonsense to my father to leave Germany in 1933-1938 – after all, we were all| Germans. He and my male relatives had served with distinction in the Germany Army in World War I. | To understand what went on in Germany in the 1930s, history books are of very little use somehow. They cannot grasp the reality of a single life or that of a family. William L. Shire’s book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, is about as accurate of a chronicle as I have read. However, to tell a personal story is different. Not as earth-shaking perhaps, but probably a bit sadder. In retrospect everyone’s vision is 20:20, but it seemed utter nonsense to my father to leave Germany in 1933-1938 – after all, we were all| Germans. He and my male relatives had served with distinction in the Germany Army in World War I. | ||
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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, 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. | 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, [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|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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I really think I tried very hard to do what I consider as fulfilling the debt. I think I paid back a little bit to the good old country, and what I was given was a new life and future. My reward for going to war was a free country. | I really think I tried very hard to do what I consider as fulfilling the debt. I think I paid back a little bit to the good old country, and what I was given was a new life and future. My reward for going to war was a free country. | ||
Karl Goldsmith entered the insurance industry in 1957 and worked until his death in February 2002. There is a bench named for him in the Cornell Plantations botanical gardens at Cornell University, from which he graduated. | [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]] entered the insurance industry in 1957 and worked until his death in February 2002. There is a bench named for him in the Cornell Plantations botanical gardens at Cornell University, from which he graduated. | ||
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Karl Goldsmith (top row, middle) with an interrogator prisoner of war (IPW) team; [[Slade, John H. (32885570)|John Slade]] (Hans Schlessinger) first row far left. | [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]] (top row, middle) with an interrogator prisoner of war (IPW) team; [[Slade, John H. (32885570)|John Slade]] (Hans Schlessinger) first row far left. | ||
'''The above content is from ''The Enemy I Knew: German Jews in the Allied Military in World War II'' by Steven Karras. Steven has given us permission to reproduce the chapters in their entirety. All content is copyright Steven Karras and Zenith Press. No reproduction without permission.''' | '''The above content is from ''The Enemy I Knew: German Jews in the Allied Military in World War II'' by Steven Karras. Steven has given us permission to reproduce the chapters in their entirety. All content is copyright Steven Karras and Zenith Press. No reproduction without permission.''' | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
* [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]] (soldier page) | * [[Smith, Karl G (32475883)|Karl Goldsmith]] (soldier page) | ||
* [[Ritchie Boy Interviews]] (Karl Goldsmith interview) | |||
* [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew|The Enemy I Knew]] | * [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew|The Enemy I Knew]] | ||
* [[The Stories]] | * [[The Stories]] | ||