A Soldier's Journey Home
story and links by Andrea Shihady
for 4th-6th grades
The following story is based on the life of my uncle. The names and places in this story have been changed to respect the wishes of his family. The actual events in this story were based on stories that have been told in my family for the past 30 years. However, parts of the story many not be completely accurate simply because very few people were ever told what really happened while my uncle was in Germany. I do know that he was a man of integrity and determination, and I am very proud of him.
Betty sat swinging on the front porch of her log cabin. Her mother and father were busy tending to the garden when they heard Betty scream.
"Joe! Joe!" she kept screaming. "Ma, Pa, come quick Joe has come home! He's alive! He's alive!"
Betty did have reason to be excited. Her brother Joe had been drafted into the Army during World War II. The last the family had heard, Joe was missing in action. That had been over a year ago. Now, after the family had given up on ever seeing him again, this tall, extremely thin soldier had come home.
For years, no one knew exactly what happened when Joe was in the war. Some said it was just too difficult for him to talk about. To this day, only a handful of people really know what happened during that trying time. It is now time for this brave soldier's story to be told.
When Joe was drafted into the war, at the age of 18, he did not realize how this would change his whole life. One day while he was stationed in Germany, he and his buddy were captured by Nazi soldiers. They were prisoners of war. They were taken back to a concentration camp and interrogated for days. After enduring terrible conditions day after day, they decided that they could not stay there any longer. They would try to escape. After days of planning, Joe and his friend Bill decided to put their plan into action. Early one morning the boys made their way to the door of their cabin. As usual, the Nazi guard had fallen asleep, so they easily snuck right past him.
The past few weeks they had noticed a supply truck that always came at the same time every other day. According to the boys calculations, the truck would be arriving very soon. Sure enough, it pulled up as soon as they had left their cabin. The boys hid behind an old well until the driver went inside one of the barracks. Then, in a flash, the two boys jumped through the green canvas which covered the back of the truck and hid behind some large boxes. After waiting for what seemed an eternity, the driver came out of the barracks and got back into the truck. Once they felt sure they were far enough away from the camp, they jumped out of the truck. Now began their long journey home.
What happened next will never be perfectly clear. Much speculation has been made about how Joe and Bill made their way across Europe. Some have said they stole clothes off a clothesline to change out of their prison uniforms. Apparently they also ate vegetables out of gardens and leftovers out of the garbage in order to survive. Hitchhiking was the main mode of transportation. They were not living a glamorous life. They basically did whatever they could to survive. Unfortunately, Joe's friend Bill did not survive. Information about his death was never disclosed.
Somehow, someway Joe did make it across Europe to the Atlantic Coast. It was said that he stowed away on a ship headed for America. After reaching the U.S., he hitchhiked again, back to his home in Eastern Kentucky where our story began.
Joe, barely able to walk because of near starvation, kept putting one foot in front of the other until he reached that dirt road that led to home. He lived for many more years encouraging others to be determined to never give up.
sources: from family folklore and the mind of Andrea Shihady
For more information about those who tried to make a difference during the war, click here.
Additional web sites about World War II can be found here.
Outline
I. Joe returns home.
II. Joe at war
A. Joe was drafted
B. Joe was captured by Nazis
III. Joe escapes
A. Joe hid in supply truck
B. He hitchhiked across Europe
IV. Joe reaches America
A. He was determined
B. He had a good life after the war
Questions
1. What war was Joe a soldier in?
2. What was the name of the enemy that captured Joe?
3. What part of Joe's life do you think was the most difficult?
4. What are some interesting things that happened to Joe after he escaped?
5. Describe how you would feel if you saw your brother return from the war when you thought you would never see him again?
6. What character quality did Joe best display through this part of his life?
7. How can you apply his character quality to your life?
Answers
1. World War I
2. the Nazis
3. answers vary--being captured, interrogated, trying to escape, not seeing family
4. answers vary--hitchhiked, stowed away in boat
5. answers vary--joyful, glad, overwhelmed
6. determination
7. Be determined to obtain your goals, even during difficult times.