Camp near Siegberg Germany?

[Jean Jacobson]

Larry the Legend, You did that faster than I could even type it in! Amazing!

 

You really are one of the kindest persons I have ever known!

 

Thank you!

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

Larry the Legend, Wow! Thank you for the contact information on all of those family members!

 

What a great privilege it is to know you!!!

 

Truly an Honor!!!

 

Jean

[SonofaMP]

I got the Missing Air Crew Report for Steve Pisar, i`ll send it to you when i get the pages assembled into a .pdf

He was a crew chief on a C -47, shot down 23 Dec 1944 on the resupply drop to Bastogne.

[Jean Jacobson]

Larry the Legend,

 

What great research on Pisar. I don't know how you do it and no less, so fast!

 

Regarding Spurlock, do you realize in a matter of just a few hours or much less you had names and numbers I could call. And with the time difference I could have called them all yesterday.

 

When I brought up Spurlock I was thinking maybe in next couple of weeks you might have so kindly and generously found me a phone number and then sometime in next week or so after that I would call. But no, in same afternoon, you the Wizard of Research had done it all.

 

And yes, now it is my turn - so I will rearrange things - drink more coffee like you do - but no cig's - and call these folks today remembering that I am 2 hours ahead of them.

 

I always feel so apprehensive calling - especially that 1st call. First, if they have caller ID they can just not answer - and then in this case it is not just calling to ask them about Prison Camp memories but now seems so presumptuous of me to think I can call and bring up such a topic. In many other cases the men were not married and so I was looking for relatives that connected to the deceased gentlemen. In this case these are the children of that poor brave man that never returned....

 

And my poor Dad too, and the other men that took care of Spurlock, seeing his end coming - they had to deal with that and they also had to know he had left little children back home.

 

I better understand my Dad's fury now from our WW2 trip with him - that there was no sign or anything to memorialize the brave men that had been buried there. I already know that when I go back to the location of where the Cemetery was supposed to have been, I will lay a small cross on the ground for all of the men that had been placed there - as Dad did for each one of the men. In this case a cross was proper because that was their religious affiliation.

 

Thank You Larry and as always, Christoph!

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

Well, I made the call. Quite interesting.

 

I spoke to the daughter. She did have a brother who was younger than her and thus, who also never knew his Dad.

 

They did try to find some things out. Her Mom did not want to discuss it - I would assume too painful.

 

Spurlock's granddaughter is working in Germany for the American Government. Maybe she will contact me and then based on lots of things, maybe Christoph can visit with her?

 

There was a fellow who must have been in Spurlock's outfit that also ended up in Siegburg. This gentleman came or talked on the phone to Spurlock's wife. He was from Pine Bluff. One list I have shows randomly the State of Residence. I have found an entry with that state listed.

 

The daughter will look in the few papers that she has to see if there is any mention of that man's name - she doubts that she has anything.

 

However, Larry the Legend to the Rescue - I will send you the name my quick search came up with. You, on the other hand, before I finish writing, you will probably have read this and figured things out! I did share you with the daughter.

 

Spurlock was buried at the Cemetery in Margraten, Holland.

 

Now the strangest thing is the daughter heard that the casket was empty! And was convinced of it!

 

I could tell the daughter positively that he was buried in Siegburg! And it is very unlikely that he disappeared.....

 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Christoph could take Spurlock's Granddaughter to where her Grandfather would have first been buried. And she could see the reconstructed Abbey buildings (after the bombings) and try to visualize that somewhere in there her Grandfather put up a tremendous fight to try to live and return home.

 

Probably Spurlock's condition was like Geraghty's and as Dad said in his letter to Geraghty's Dad 'Your son was a hero till the very end - he was severely wounded - and it was just the element of time for no amount of medical science could have possibly changed the course of events. We have buried your son here at Siegburg - in the American section of a German cemetary with some other American boys who have found a greater peace than seems to exist on earth.'

 

I am going to send the daughter a note now.......

 

Jean

[Christoph]

Of course I would like to visit the cemetery and the abbey with any children or grandchildren and I really like your idea with the cross. I just wrote an E-Mail to the cemetery Administration and asked whether they might have some old records of the inhumations and whether they see a possibility to put up an Information or any kind of memorial place at the cemetery.

 

Christoph

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph, Awesome!

 

And I just knew you would do it, that is -meeting with the grand daughter. But I did not want to be presumptuous.

 

But talking to the Cemetery Administrator - That would be incredible!!! And only you could do that!

 

I just sent off a letter to the gal and then after reading your comment I sent her another little note saying what you said about the visitations.

 

I mostly wrote her about why factually the body did not disappear at Siegburg. And we know after the War that the Allies had to fill in, with witnesses present, all kinds of forms to prove no War Crimes had been committed - and I told her that.

 

My supposition is that the expression was symbolic - that the casket was empty - and it made it easier on everyone if they thought like that and eventually it was taken literally.

 

You know if you ever arranged for something at the Cemetery, that would be one INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT!!! - A Miracle - but probably impossible since everyone has even denied the existence of a Prison Camp there.

 

Christoph, you would not know this but over here when you talk to WW2 Veterans, the one thing they all say is that they are not Heroes - instead they say 'It is the Men that did not return that are the Real Heroes!'

 

That little piece of land was filled with Real American Heroes that came from so many different outfits - Army and Air Men included!

 

You are very kind!

Jean

 

 

 

I think all Veterans would be pleased to know that a little spot of land that was dedicated to only the wounded Americans that could not survive

 

As always, Thank You Christoph!

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

Well, Larry you are going to be sorry that I left my list of non war things that I was working on yesterday and got back into this. I got so far behind because you got so far ahead!

 

If your current house project terminates, I am very worried.

 

I just reviewed the Welsh records from St. Louis. It did not take long because so little there. The research you did earlier on this gentleman and posted on this site Larry is really wonderful - the only information we have on him.

 

I checked the 12th Regiment 4th Division Yearbook and found him listed in Co. K on page 210. The Heading back on page 175 was Partial Roster of Former Members. We sadly know what happened to so many of them - the Bloody Hurtgen Forest.

 

His capture date of Nov. 13, 1944 was so close to Spurlock's of 11/8/44 and his 28th Division in the Forest too.

 

Do you suppose you could find anything on the Welsh family.

 

Please no rush - I know I soon have to soon sign off the War stuff for a little bit -

 

Thank You,

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph, still thinking about you and your wonderful thoughts of seeing what the Cemetery would consider doing or what they have! Pretty exciting - even if they decide it is better to do nothing.

 

For the town, I would think it would be useful to someday be able to put something in the Tourist brochures noting that they have a WW2 Memorial site. When I last checked, a few years ago, they had nothing.

 

I realized that the folks there might not want to think of our guys as Heroes and I understand. They too had their Heroes - but as Dad would say 'It Was War.'

 

Now I had another surprise this AM - Larry sent more information on Pisar. Can't wait to read it all. Apparently no where does it say Siegburg. Christoph do you know of any big hospital that would have been in the Stalag 6G area during that time?

 

I am out most of day - bye for the moment,

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

I have wondered about Larry the Legend, and just heard he has been sick! and now his Mom is real sick and in the hospital!

 

I knew you all would want to know and posted it here because he has become not just a part of this topic but a driving force in it! He is the reason I have made such rapid progress! and made such great recent discoveries!

 

Jean