Writer Kurt Vonnegut's letter home, written soon after his release from a POW camp, was published here yesterday. Believe it or not, my dad was the real writer back then - he even kept a diary for an entire week.Unlike Vonnegut, he sheds no light on what had actually happened to him as a POW. He provides no explanation about his weight going from 150 lbs. before the war to 80 lbs. as Adolph's guest. Mum's the word. He'd stay like that the rest of his life. Vonnegut's three-page letter tells me more about my dad's POW experience than he himself ever shared.
He just drank. A lot. Especially at Christmas time. That didn't kill him. Neither did the Germans. The cigarettes did.
But for one week, my father chronicled his post-release experiences in amazing detail. Just twenty-two at the time, he was a pretty good writer himself. Occasionally, he mentions Vonnegut, who was just a "minor being" at the time. For the next few days, I'll share my dad's thoughts with you, day by day.
5/17/45
Our mangy but well-fed crew left DiHille's at noon today. We proceeded over the Elbe to Russian headquarters in the city and after much confusion - due to our ignorance of the Russian language and vice versa - we were directed to the Hitler Caserne on Konigsbage Strasse. Here we find ourselves confronted with the perpetual situation of no one knowing anything about anything. However, we are being looked after like pet children by the Russians. We have been here only four hours at the most and have already been fed twice, showered, de-loused and billeted. As near as we can gather from speaking to the limeys and G.I.'s here, we are to stay put until our troops come seeking us. Except for the anxiety that we all have concerning our parents and families, we don't give a damn how long it takes them to root us out.
I heard my first radio program since I was captured. Dannine and I went across the compound and fell in with a few Tommies who have a wireless set in their flat. We heard an A.M.G. broadcast from Hamburg. That American music certainly sounded good. The Tommies surprised us before the evening was over with a meal of spuds, meat and beans. We rejoined our crew with a full stomach and a highly satisfied mien. I don't believe I'll ever get up out of bed again. Goot nacht.
Blogger's Note: First published 12/11/07.
Bernie, Merry Christmas, I am following the Vonnegut letters, I was just a kid during WW2, but we all followed the news and the gold stars that would suddenly appear in the windows, saving grease, metal, the air raid wardens, covering the windows, I was in school in Paterson at the time, stepdad worked at Wright Bros. airplanes on engines, we kids wore dogtags to school. Memories!
ReplyDeleteEs wird benannt, "gute Nacht"
ReplyDeleteDEUTSCHE GRAMMATIKPOLIZEI
Aber wir brauchen mehr Geld, um Griechenland zu schicken. Hilf bitte!
Great Job Bernie - Sehr interessant - Danke für das Teilen!
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAwesome and very interesting, Thank you Bernie and Merry Christmas
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to our Country?
More importantly what happened to our CITIZENS?
They were the GREATEST GENERATION!
My uncle was a Japanese POW. He was stationed on Corregidor and I understand that his gun emplacement was the last to fire on the Japanese on May 6, 1942. He also never talked about his POW experiences. He graduated from West Point --- was a member of the class of 1939. He was awarded a silver star. He died in 1982. Thanks for sharing the letters.
ReplyDeleteMy uncle was aboard the USS Tangier, anchored with the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on the 7th of December, 1941.
ReplyDeleteOur families mailman when I was a child growing up in Bethlehem, was a survivor of the infamous death march on Bataan.
Young men who found themselves facing extraordinary hardship.
Don't kid yourself, our country still produces young men and wemon of the caliber as these WW II Vets.
We should applaud them one and all, and recognize their frail and brilliant humanity even as we laud their courage.
Thank you for this wonderful post.
Wow this is amazing, Bernie ... thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteMy cousin was one of the 317 sailors that survived the USS Indianapolis sinking. He never discussed this nightmare. Letters that document what these guys went through are priceless.
ReplyDeletef your cousin is still alive, it would be nice to get his story. I'd be happy to help you if you like. The WWII roundtable has guys who do that, too, now that I think about it. Let me know if they or I can help. Obviously, nobody would pressure your cousin and i would respect his wishes.
ReplyDeleteThat's really decent of you BOH. A very decent, kind and historically significant gesture.
ReplyDeleteNice job.
Bernie, my cousin, the Indianapolis survivor, unfortunately is dead.Thanks for your offer.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss, which s also our loss.
ReplyDeleteI knew 3 men who went thru WW 2, one was my late father in law, he was in the Army Air Force, was captain of Fools Paradise a b-17 bomber, he also was with the Berlin air lift. He never ever talked about this until he was drunk -- good and drunk. the liquor was like truth serum, and the stories were just unbelievable. The other man was friend (RIP ) he did D-Day, again did n't want to talk about it at all. The third man the late Mr. Dickey, was born and raised on college hill, and went from the CCC to the Army where he got stationed in Sarah Palin's backyard where he could watch Russia and an invasion from Japan -- He did not see much action in AK so he was more talkative about the war years. I could ask him questions, that were gaps in the other's stories. these brave soldiers lost a lot friends, a piece of their sanity, they had to perform their duty in what I could only figure was traumatic for a youngster of 21 to 25 years.
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to reading these posts at Christmas time. And your father was a very good writer at 22 years old.
ReplyDeleteTouching piece, Bernie. What a generation, huh?
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've bragged a few times about sort of knowing the guy who is the son of the Bernie O'Hare of Vonnegut fame.
Merry Christmas to you and yours...
Best,
Jeffrey Anthony
gee Bernie, you should write a book, about all these stories, a tribute to your Dad and the others that gave their sacrifice
ReplyDeleteYour Dad was a Hero/Warrior and you should be proud. Not sure if you have kids, I lost my Son in a tragic accident and a lot people did not do the right thing(did not attend the wake, Mass or send a card).Good write up on Hickey=respect your friendship with him and his role as a Father !
ReplyDeletethanks Bernie, maybe you should start a separate blog dedicated to your father and KV and WW II, because it's truly fascinating, full of insight and humanity, thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteBernie, your dad had an additude after he had been through being a POW ,that “ what are you going to me “ that those guys already haven’t done .Go fuck yourselves . The cops were relatively no danger to him after what he went through . It’s kind of like holding up a U.S..Marine or Army Ranger at the ATM . What are you going to to do ? Bad selection for hold up ,I say .
ReplyDeletePeter, you are right. My Dad never took kindly to threats or being pushed around.
ReplyDeleteYour dad's reference of the British as "limeys" gives me a chuckle.
ReplyDelete"Down this road, on a summer's day in 1944, the soldiers came"
ReplyDeleteOnce again Bernie you have me binge watching World at War and thinking about mum and her bananas.
Merry Christmas Bernie.