jon_j_rambo Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 The ranks of remaining World War II former prisoners of war have thinned to a few, but some of the old POWs still get together occasionally to share experiences. Today, at least one - former Army Lt. F. Eugene Liggett, 87, of Vancouver - will head across the Columbia River to the Milwaukie, Ore., Elks Club to meet fellow former prisoners for National Former POW Recognition Day. He meets about once a month with other former Vancouver POWs: Dale Bowlin, Norman J. Swanson, Randall Whetzel, Jim Sweiberg and Magnor Peterson. "We were getting together at restaurants, but now there is so few of us, we just get together at each other's houses," said Liggett, a longtime Nebraska farm extension agent who retired to Vancouver in 1979. Twice wounded, and a veteran of several World War II battles, Liggett was captured by the Germans on Sept. 11, 1944, was liberated eight months later, and then narrowly escaped a hitch in Korea due to a bad back. In the interest of history, Liggett has written a complete account of his World War II experiences, including his days in captivity. He has posted it on the 45th Infantry Division Web site. It's called "No - Not yet: Military Memoirs by F. Eugene Liggett." Bullet hole A bullet hole in his World War II helmet tells part of his story. German shrapnel pierced his helmet during the battle of Anzio in Italy in 1944, Liggett said. He said he cheated death twice in that battle. "Another round missed my head by six inches," he said. "The shrapnel went through and hit a metal clip, gave me a concussion." He suffered a fractured skull and lost much of his hearing, but was sent right back into battle as a forward observer for artillery in France. He got too far ahead of his unit and was captured by the Germans, nearly starved and nearly froze to death. For days the Nazis marched him and hundreds of other prisoners in threadbare clothing through 40-below-zero weather in Poland. "They gave me a bloody Polish soldier's coat and it was full of holes but it helped keep me warm," he said. "We didn't have gloves or anything." The prisoners were packed in crowded railroad cars with only water from a dirty toilet pail to drink. Once he spent eight days without food, packed with other prisoners into a 40-by-8 rail car (big enough for 40 men or eight mules). "We had dysentery with no toilet paper most of the time, and no clothes to change from what we were captured in. There was no medical or dental care, no toothbrush, no radio, no mail, no news. There were ever-present guards and dogs and double barbed-wire fences. We slept on manure piles and with pigs, wherever we could to keep warm." He escaped, was captured again. He escaped again from a camp south of Berlin, making it to the Elbe River where he and four other men came upon American soldiers. They later learned their comrades in the prison camp had been captured the next day by Russians and sent to Siberia. Many, he said, were never seen again. But he came home to marry Rosalie, and today they to continue to enjoy their four children: Dorothy Tilka, of Vancouver; Jim, in New Hampshire; Ron, in Denver, and Marianne, in Los Angeles. All four plan to be home in Vancouver for Mother's Day, Liggett said. His life in Vancouver for the past 30 years has been comfortable, he said. He's been a master gardener and spent a lot of time fishing and clam digging. But he's never forgotten those months in the German POW camp, he said. And never stopped being grateful. "I was wounded twice and captured, but I managed, with the help of a lot of luck and prayers, to survive the war. Now, I find that my good friend, Lady Luck, is still smiling at me and Old Father Time is looking closer, but still saying, 'No, not yet,'" Liggett wrote. At 87, he said, he still enjoys good health, but his contacts with other old vets have been diminishing. "We are just on the verge of closing it out," he said. Did you know? Today is National Former POW Recognition Day, honoring the 142,233 American soldiers who were captured and interned during World Wars I and II and wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo. Also honored are some 92,000 troops who were either lost in combat or whose remains were never recovered. Eugene Liggett has written the story of his World War II experiences, including his eight months as a prisoner of war in Germany, beginning with his capture on Sept. 11, 1944. It's online at www.45thinfantrydivision.com - click on "Memoirs." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retributar Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 I really am not surprised at the total lack of concern or welfare regarding the proper handling of prisoner's of war, but it is still shocking to read such detail's explaining those horrendous misconduct's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_j_rambo Posted April 9, 2007 Author Share Posted April 9, 2007 "The Germans are not nice people" --- Slow dude in Band of Brothers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaoJah Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Originally posted by Retributar: I really am not surprised at the total lack of concern or welfare regarding the proper handling of prisoner's of war, but it is still shocking to read such detail's explaining those horrendous misconduct's Yes, since propaganda machines that drill the oldiers into believing that the other side is evil, things like this always happen. It will never change : from the tales of Ancient Rome, to the books about the Napolian wars to the pictures of Iraqees prisoners : the winners always treat the losers bad, without any respect of their dignity. It's an ungly side of war, always has been, always will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisND Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Originally posted by TaoJah: Yes, since propaganda machines that drill the oldiers into believing that the other side is evil, things like this always happen. This is a simplistic explanation of something more complicated. Certainly propaganda sometimes has a part in it, but there are plenty of other factors that contribute to these types of situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slapaho Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 without going off on a political debate about PoWs etc., it is always very interesting to read about 'real' peoples lives in the most extreme conditions of war. Great website and some really good links also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 "In love and war there ain't no rules!" ~Peter Steele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlenekb Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I am looking for info on the location of Randall & Dorothy Whetzel (Mentioned in this story) or any of their family members. The Whetzels were friends of my parents, Leon & Marianne Curtis) in Portland many yrs ago & I recently found in my mom's papers several letter that they wrote to my parents from Borneo in the 1940s. One has a very good description of what their life was like there & I'd really like to fina a family member to give these to. I can be reached at darlenekb@q.com. Any help whould be greatly appreciated! Darlene (Curtis) Boggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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