What my GPA did in WWII and his POW days

My Grandpa, Mike Tozzi, was a Ranger in the Army. While in battle in Germany, America began bombing the area where they were fighting the Germans. Being a Ranger, he knew America's bombing patterns in which he guided his infantry through (was told this is where he saved many American's lives). This forced them into a nearby river in German territory where they hid from German troops. After saving multiple lives in the river from American soldiers drowning, a German patrol boat found them hiding in the bushes. The German's captured them and stripped them. My grandpa was able to save only his wedding ring by planting it into his bushy hair.

While serving as a prisoner of the Germans, he was held in Germany POW camp : Stalag 3c Alt Drewitz Brandenburg Prussia 52 14. For nearly 6 months he was held here, where he lost almost 90 pounds. He was able to escape when the Russians liberated this camp. I was told the Russians didn't treat him that much better than the Germans did. He finally made his way back home to America, but I was never alive while he was.

 

Sad story, POW stories are never nice, my great uncle lost his leg in a Japanese POW camp.

 

Wow that is a neat but sad story. Thank for sharing your grandfathers story with us Jtozzi1.

Also welcome to this forum !

 

always good to remember and share it...thanks

 

My dad was in the same camp from June 1944 until March of 1945 also when the Russians freed them. So they were in camp together for at least some time.

 

POW ..not much food....not much heat--no AC ...can't go out to the store/ballgame/etc....a mental battle ..but humans adapt, not all do--but most....planning and attempting escapes kept the minds occupied
..of course humans can't always get along with each other--so you have strained nerves/etc--especially living in close quarters