Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
11:33 | John Rodgers remembers the more intensive parts of his training before deploying overseas. All of his preparation paid off as he began flying missions in North Africa.
Keywords : basic training P-39 overseas Camp Patrick Henry practices deployment preparation Air Force Troopship nurse Air Corps Myrtle Beach SC Gunnery Training SS Mariposa Casablanca A-36 Cape Bon North Africa
During one of his missions over Italy, John Rodgers was forced to bail out of a plane, but managed to land safely. After landing, he was captured by some enemy forces and taken as a prisoner of war.
After being captured, John Rodgers met an old friend at the camp where he was being held. While being brought back to Rome by his captors, Rodgers was able to buy some sustenance for himself and his friends that kept them going as they were transferred to Poland. (Part 1)
With their final destination set as Poland, Rodgers and his fellow captives stop at a small camp in Szubin, where they were held. By the end of his time there, there were nearly 2,000 other officers being held captive. (Part 2)
John Rodgers remembers the very basic elements of his cell in Luckenwalde. The conditions were poor, but they managed to keep their spirits high and maintain some forms of communication.
On January 21st, 1945, John Rodgers and his fellow officers began one of the longest forced marches of World War II. From Szubin, Poland, they were forced to march over 300 miles in 47 days. It took some time, but General Patton’s forces were able to liberate the prisoners as the war in Europe came to an end.
