вторник, 16 април 2019 г.

Army WWII POW Battle Of The Bulge Bastogone

By Carol Bennett


When it comes to World War Two, most people have read or studied Hitler and the Holocaust in Germany. What many are unaware of is that there were over 350 active GIs taken hostage and held prisoner over the course of the war. One of the most well known of these is an Army WWII POW Battle Of The Bulge.

Once captured, the young GI endured combat, slave labor and captivity before finding liberation from the Nazis. The young Bob Max returned home 50 lbs less than when joining the army, though still sustained far less injuries than many other soldiers whom suffered far worse or lost their lives in the war.

Bob Max's story began in New Jersey in 1922. During Max's childhood and teenage years in South Orange, the boy received several first place medals for sprinting. Whereas, as a teenager whom loved sports, Bob participated in different football leagues for teenagers, many of which played against teams from local high schools.

When World War II came to America, Bob enlisted in the Army. On October 26, 1942, the young soldier was placed in what has become known as the Super Sixth Armored Division under Major General Robert Grow. While under the command of Grow, the division fought under General Patton's command while in Lorraine, Brittany and Normandy.

Upon the launch of the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, Bob's division was removed from an attack in Saar and directed 90 degrees north to fight in Bastogone. While the fourth armored division had liberated most of the city, there remained a great deal of fighting before the city could be secured. As a result, the 6th and 9th or Super Sixth divisions moved in to take over the fighting at the beginning of 1945.

Bob did not realize the fate of becoming a POW at the hands of German soldiers until several months later. The story of Bob's capture is a rather long one but one the elder Bob Max will most likely never forget. For, with attempting to hide with other Americans in a nearby shack only to be rejected, a near escape from black hooded German soldiers with assault rifles, and flaming tanks, how could anyone really ever forget such an experience.

Like other American soldiers, Bob attempted to carry on a conversation with the German soldiers. In Bob's case, it was a German solider whom began a conversation asking why Americans were fighting in a war not their own. After which, the German displayed a set of family photographs and suggested the family would be in New York the next year.

While Bob was amazed at how confident the German was that Hitler would be winning the war and the world, the young soldier saw an attitude change. After which, the German told Bob about a nearby POW camp where the young American would be headed next. Bob was elated to know that death would not come at the hands of the Germans. Later, once liberated, Max returned to America where he began sharing and writing about those difficult times at the hands of the German army.




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