Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Hank Derenoff

Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) | 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division

The last piece of business for Hank Derenoff's unit before they left Afghanistan was to relieve a sister company which had lost a lot of their men to IED's. The outpost was a mess and had to be secured, then patrols were started. There was a Syrian IED maker in the area who had a calling card and there was a K9 unit that was no help at all. (Caution: strong language) (8:37)
Hank Derenoff was at Kandahar Airfield waiting to go home. He couldn't stand the place nor did he care for the banners and the band when he got back to Fort Bragg. He did enjoy the reunion with his family. Then came the garrison duty. (Caution: strong language) (10:44)
The US exit from Afghanistan was bad but that shouldn't stop the remembrance of those who died or were injured. That's what Hank Derenoff wants everyone to remember. (Caution: strong language) (3:57)
Hank Freedman

WWII | Multiple Units

He was an enthusiastic draftee in 1942. Hank Freedman excelled at the tests he was given and was sent to engineering school under the ASTP program. Before he could graduate, the program was scrapped because they needed the manpower in the infantry. His unit had left, so he was sent to the 106th Infantry Division, a fateful assignment. (5:10)
The 106th Infantry Division was newly formed and inexperienced when they replaced another division on the front in the Ardennes Forest. No one thought there was any danger of an attack at that location, but Hank Freedman found out just how wrong that was. His unit faced the full fury of the German offensive at the Battle of the Bulge and found themselves surrounded. (10:06)
The 106th Division was decimated. The German attack through the Ardennes broke and scattered the American line and thousands of GI's were captured. Among them was Hank Freedman. He describes the fierce battle and the confusion and chaos as the Germans surrounded and captured him. (5:42)
The day after he was captured, the Germans put Hank Freedman and the others on the road. They were eventually put in rail cars that were filthy and began a trek to prison camps, always a target for Allied planes seeking out German trains. He survived the friendly fire, though all were not so fortunate. (6:14)
The prison camp at Bad Orb was at the top of a small mountain, overlooking the town. When POW Hank Freedman arrived, the guards said for all the Jewish prisoners to step forward. What followed was a moment worthy of Spartacus. Then they wanted the POW's to fill out extensive forms with all kinds of information. No way. (4:38)
As a non-commissioned officer, POW Hank Freedman was not required to work. The privates and PFC's were not so lucky. Many died laboring for the Germans. He never received the Red Cross packages he was due, though they did visit the camp. Those were good days. Extra rations. (8:25)
For some reason, the German guard in the the prison camp tower started shooting at an American fighter crossing overhead. Hank Freedman was a prisoner at that camp and when he saw the pilot bank and turn, he headed for the barracks. No way that guard was going to get away with that. It was a nice diversion for a lot of men with no hope of escape. (4:50)