When American soldiers opened the locked freight car, they found 200 German women inside who had not eaten for almost two weeks. NU
When American soldiers opened the locked freight car, they found 200 German women inside who had not eaten for almost two weeks. April 28, 1945. A damp, steel-gray sky hung low over the ragged forests outside Iswald, Germany. For the…
Mercy in the mud: the German nurses and the American soldiers who saved them. NU
Mercy in the mud: the German nurses and the American soldiers who saved them In the spring of 1945, as the Third Reich crumbled under the Allied advance, a group of 43 German nurses marched westward across the routed Western…
She was the only prisoner who refused to bow, but when an American doctor forced her to bend backward, he discovered her condition. NU
She was the only prisoner who refused to bow, but when an American doctor forced her to bend backward, he discovered her condition. August 14, 1945. Camp Alva, Oklahoma. The air was still. It was heavy and stifling, like a…
For German women in 1945, the first night of US captivity meant a descent into a terrifying, lawless silence. NU
For German women in 1945, the first night of US captivity meant a descent into a terrifying, lawless silence. March 7, 1945. The end didn’t come with a heroic display, but with the smell of damp earth and the silent…
Shield of Mercy: The beating that saved a soul. NU
Shield of Mercy: The beating that saved a soul In the sweltering haze of Yokohama, Japan, on September 15, 1945, the world seemed trapped in a state of disbelief. Nearly two weeks after Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri, the…
He faced the cold chains of an American stockade and his four-word plea haunted the guards. NU
He faced the cold chains of an American stockade and his four-word plea haunted the guards. August 29, 1944. The rolling fields west of Chartres, France, were no longer the picturesque landscapes of postcards. They had been transformed into ankle-deep,…
How a US sniper killed 11 people in 4 days using a standard trick – and then failed for 78 days. US
How a US sniper killed 11 people in 4 days using a standard trick – and then failed for 78 days. At 6:27 a.m. on March 14, 1944, Lieutenant John George crouched on a ridge overlooking the Hukong Valley in…
“My skin hurt” — A German prisoner of war is in shock after U.S. Army medics saved her life and prevented her from losing both hands. NU
“My skin hurt” — A German prisoner of war is in shock after U.S. Army medics saved her life and prevented her from losing both hands March 1945, Fort Sam, Houston, Texas. The American medic stared at the young woman’s…
“You have no business being here” – German female prisoners of war beg to stay in an American camp. NU
“You have no business being here” – German female prisoners of war beg to stay in an American camp March 15, 1946, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. The gates were finally open. The war was over. Ingred Hoffman, 24, was free to…
“We were locked in cages” – German prisoners of war shocked when they saw American cages for the first time.NU
“We were locked in cages” – German prisoners of war shocked when they saw American cages for the first time October 1945, a muddy field in New York City. A cold, steady rain falls. 847 German women disembark from cattle…