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John Reitz

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They gave John Reitz the big pitch about staying in the Army Reserves once he returned from Europe. There wasn't much chance of that happening, as he makes clear. He returned to his career in music, embittered by his military experience. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (4:09)

John Rodgers

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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. (11:33)

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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. (15:15)

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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) (5:17)

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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) (11:35)

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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. (8:42)

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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. (10:31)

John Souther

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John Souther was already in the Army when Pearl Harbor was bombed and he immediately was engaged in stepped up training. He went with the 1st Armored Division to the first invasion of the war, North Africa. Pummeled by Rommel at first, they prevailed and then went on to Italy. (8:59)

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On his first raid in North Africa, reconnaissance platoon leader John Souther captured a hundred Germans with no losses to his own unit. His job in the 1st Armored Division was to be out in front with his eyes open, and he was doing just that when a huge amount of enemy was spotted. Rommel's big push had begun. (5:02)

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John Souther was on reconnaissance patrol when he nosed his halftrack up over the edge of the gully in the Tunisian desert. A round from a German 88 immediately tore through the engine compartment, but left him unhurt. They paid mightily for that shot. With his radio, he began spotting artillery on their position, under fire the entire time. He was awarded the Silver Star for this action. (4:44)