I just finished scanning photographs of Holocaust victims. These photographs were reportedly taken by Blaine Jensen near a city named "Pflugdorf," and Blaine's son has allowed me to display them.
I am sickened. We are currently in touch with historians who have compiled information about some of the Dachau sub-camps, one of which is named Kauferring, which happened to reside near the city Pflugdorf. Individuals from the Kaufering website hope to assess the location of the death camp within these photographs. If any historian would like a larger size, please contact Warblitz.
The origin of Harold Poole’s Bible
Warblitz recently conducted an interview with Harold Poole, a WWII Veteran who survived the Bataan Death March. After the interview, Harold produced a Bible that had he had found lying on the ground of a deserted field hospital while he was a POW. Within this Bible the name “Elizabeth C. Wilson” was scrawled upon the front cover. Those who participated in the interview were curious to find out the Bible's original owner.
Harold believed the Bible was left by one of the nurses who had recently fled the city of Mariveles. I have looked into the Bible possibly being owned by a “Lucy Wilson” who was a Nurse that fled the island via submarine, immediately before the Japanese (and Harold) arrived at the medical camp.
Lucy wrote a book about her experience called Warrior in White.
Another book We Band of Angels… reveals history about the nurses who fled as the Japanese approached. Page 87 discusses a group of nurses near Mariveles, Lucy Wilson among them, who fled. It states “The women left so quickly that one nurse climbed into the trucks with her hair left in curlers. Another abandoned a favorite Bible…”
Using Facebook, I did some research into this story.
Mary Yeager, Lucy Wilson’s daughter, asked her elderly family members if any of them knew of an “Elizabeth C. Wilson.” She has since replied, “the Bible does not belong to her [Lucy] or anyone from my family.” Mary also stated “I don't remember anything in my Mother’s book [Warrior in White] about a Bible being left during my Mother's tour in the Phillipines.”
Mary’s answer now poses other questions: who was the nurse that abandoned her favorite Bible and was this the very Bible that Harold found? Warblitz is currently contacting the author of “We Band of Angels…” to discover the name of this nurse.
In addition, Warblitz is pressing forward on another lead provided via Wikipedia. Elizabeth C. Wilson sponsored the USS Belfast, a Patrol Gunboat launched in 1943, which operated in the Philippines in late 1944. Could this Elizabeth C. Wilson have anything to do with Harold’s Bible?
Although I cannot find a picture of the USS Belfast, view other patrol gunboats similar to the Belfast.
Warblitz will keep you informed as more information is revealed.
Charles Jarman
Charles Jarman, veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Charles discusses the flaw of entitlement and the political belief that everyone deserves a college education.
ADOLPH "BUD" HUESGEN - B-17 Pilot Shot Down over No-Man's Land
As we go about our busy days and drink our daily freedom, the veterans who served in our behalf quietly pass on. Most say they were simply "doing their duty."
With a little patience and effort our generation can learn much from these humble men. Quietly and humbly we can thank them for their incredible service, and in return, question our duty and our purpose.
The older gentleman is co-pilot Adolf "Bud" Huesgen, who flew 19 bombing missions over Germany and was shot down over no-mans land in Germany during his 8th mission. He had never jumped from a plane before, and as he floated to the ground became target practice for the Nazis. Luckily, he was picked up by American GIs who thought for two weeks Bud might be a German spy who came from the sky. Unfortunately, many in his plane were recovered by the opposing force and one was killed by the very flak that shot them down.
The two students holding booklets, Jeremy Siler and Mark Hatting, are from Eagle Gate College (Layton). These students transcribed and beautifully designed this veteran's war autobiography. This history also incorporated the veteran's personal war photos which were scanned in a little while after an oral history interview. After the final touches are made, I will post this B-17 co-pilot's history as a downloadable PDF for the world to read.
Bud said we were making him "look too good." Mission accomplished.
UPDATE: Adolph passed away only two months after our filmed interview. We were lucky to catch him before his departure. I attended his funeral, and his widow was very appreciative of our timing.
Humbling Experience
As I was scanning Adolph "Bud" Huesgen's photographs, he mentioned something quite interesting. I paraphrase his words:
"I didn't see any of that (referring to gore and violence). I flew a plane. I dropped bombs over towns and cities. For all I know, I could have blown up a school full of children."
In our world of iPods and American Idol, we have no idea.
