Comments about ‘A lucky drive through WWII France’

Awesome.

The fog of war!!That had to be too funny once the shock of what they just did wore off. There we were man,just tooling through Paris, people a waving and carrying on,hmmm where are all the other Americans? Oh well never mind lets keep going. Lucky they did not stop for breakfast. Nice story

Great story.

I love that story, it's got to be one of the funniest stories I have ever heard! Grandpa, I'm proud of you!

Thats awsome, I love the story!!! I dont think you can find a better story than that!!! I love it grandpa!!!

This story just goes to show you that the generals are not always the real heroes!

Paris was in a state of turmoil at that point, what happened at Stalag 13 was shear imagination for thew following reasons.
1. The prison system was run by the SS not the Luftwaffe, as indicated by the flying eagle on Klink's uniform, vis-a-vis the stationary one worn by the other German forces. 2. Schultz, at his weight and health would have been part of the Home Guard (Volkssturm), being unfit for active duty. 3. Klink was a brown-noser who was inept - that sort would not rise to colonel (Oberst) in the German military. 4. All though treated better than Jews prisoner were subject to forced labour and close poximety to weapons depots and other military targets, oft in tunnels underneath the camps. Prisoners (at their request) were segregated by rank and race, US Jews, however, wound up in Auschwitz. 5. History shows us there was onyy one major escape, the one depicted in the film "The Great Escape" with Steve McQueen.

Grandpa-
Great story! Don't worry, all the soldiers I talk to will know the real truth about who liberated Paris!!!

My teenage boys who love WWII enjoyed that story. Let's keep all the stories alive, before the tellers are no longer with.

Just goes to show that history is told and interpreted by the conquerers.

At that date the correct term would have been "U.S. Army Air Corps". I am also shocked that these men didn't carry sidearms. My dad was a pilot in this era and he always had a .45 with him. Planes go down sometimes - and in the most unlikely of places. Behind enemy lines, for instance.

I almost feel like calling "Shenanigans" on this whole story. Like why didn't they just leave the jeep and jump back in the aircraft?

Trish M; so glad your sons are interested in WWII history. My Dad, who would have been 90 yesterday, was a veteran of the European Theatre. I am visiting the American Cemetery in Normandy this May, and will pay my respects on behalf of your boys.

It is a good idea to find these stories and record them, we are losing this generation of Americans and they have facinating memories to share!

Actually, the correct term was "U.S. Army Air Force." The "Air Corps" was renamed in June of 1941, although its members continued to refer to it as the "Air Corps" throughout the war.
And, in spite of what John at 4:44 said, prisons for airmen were run by the Luftwaffe, not the SS. (He himself lists a great source for that--read Paul Brickhill's "The Great Escape" for info on how the Luftwaffe's prison camps were set up.) The word "Stalag" is short for "Stammlager," which means "permanent camp," and "Luft" means aircraft, hence "Stalag Luft" was a permanent camp for airman. A wing of the SS--the Allgemeine SS--was responsible for running concentration camps.

lol haha hi