|
Townhall
Patton,
Ike, and My Teenage
Boys
by Paul Kengor
Nov 11, 2013
I
recently took my two
teenage sons to a talk by Frank Kravetz, a 90-year-old World War II
veteran who survived Hitler’s Nuremberg prisons. Frank published
his story in a memoir, Eleven Two: One WWII Airman’s Story of
Capture, Survival and Freedom.
Frank’s
ordeal began in
November 1944 during a bomb-run over Germany. He took his regular
position, crammed into the tail of a B-17. The target was Merseberg,
a major industrial area. He flew amid an air armada of 500 heavy
bombers—each carrying eighteen 250-pound bombs—escorted by 900
fighter planes.
While the
Americans were
ready for business, so was the Luftwaffe, which set aside every
aircraft to defend Merseberg. Frank’s plane came under hot pursuit
by German fighters. Frank took them on with a twin .50 caliber
machine gun. It was a dogfight, and Frank was shot badly. His B-17
was filled with holes. The crew had to bail.
Frank was
bleeding
profusely. His buddies tried to get a parachute on him, but it opened
inside the plane. They wrapped it around him, trying not to cross the
chords, and tossed him out. To Frank’s great relief, the chute
opened. Instantly, the deafening chaos quieted, and Frank floated
like on angels’ wings.
The
tranquility halted with
a rude thump as Frank hit the ground and tumbled like a shot
jackrabbit. German soldiers seized him.
Thus
began “a lousy
existence,” or, as Frank dubbed it—“Hell’s journey.”
Destination: Stalag 13-D. In the end, Frank’s weight dropped to 125
pounds
Frank’s
liberation came
April 29, 1945, by Gen. Patton’s Third Army. For any fan of Patton,
Frank’s account will bring a lump to your throat: “After the flag
was raised, and within a few hours of our troops arriving in camp,
Gen. Patton rolled in, sitting high in a command car. His very
presence was awe-inspiring. I stood there staring at Gen. Patton, our
liberator, appearing larger than life.” Thousands of emaciated,
ecstatic POWs chanted, “Patton! Patton! Patton!” Some fell to
their knees, overcome with emotion. Standing in the car, Patton
seized a bullhorn and spoke: “Gentlemen—you’re now liberated
and under Allied control. … We’re going to get you out of here.”
Embracing
Patton’s every
word, it finally hit Frank: “I’m going home. I’m really going
home!”
For the
rest of this
article and more, go to Townhall
|
