Camps
Held In: MOOSBURG- WORK DETAIL-AND ONE OTHER CAMP I DON'T
REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT- AND WAS ON THE ROAD FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS,
How
Long Interned: 134 days
Liberated
/ repatriated:liberated
Date
Liberated: 04/29/45
Age
at Capture: 25
Medals
Received: PURPLE HEART- POW- GOOD CONDUCT-AMERICAN THEATER
SERVICE RIBBON-WORLD WAR 11 VICTORY RIBBON-EUROPEAN AFRICAN MIDDLE
EASTERN SERVICE RIBBON-
Military
Job: MACHINE GUNNER
Company:
SELF EMPLOYED
Occupation
after War: PAINT & DRYWALL CONTRACTOR
Bio:
This will be a brief history of my life for the first nearly eighty
years that I have lived. Don't know how the next eighty will be ha!
First I want to praise our Lord Jesus Christ for his many blessings that
he has given my family and me over the years. Without him I would be
nothing. I was born in Lafayette County near Oxford MS on December 30th
1919 to John T. Savage and Sudie Lee McDougall Savage. I was the
fourth child born out of five children to them. They was living at Union
West at that time. My mother died when I was two years old. When I was
about three we moved to the Orwood community. I was living on a farm
known as the cook place. We raised cotton-corn-soy beans-etc. We was
living there during the depression so life on the farm wasn't all that
great at that time, but we made a living and was happy for we didn't know
any better it was some tough times tho. Then in 1939 I joined the CCC and
was in it for two years, after I got out of the CCC I came to Memphis got
a job at a mop factory starting at eighteen dollars a week. That was big
money for me. I bought a car after about four months. I was really
living high on the hog. Then in November 1942 I was drafted in the army
at Ft. Oglethorpe GA. Then I was sent to Camp Van Dorn, MS. And was
assigned to the 99th infantry division. I took my basic training there
and went on maneuvers in LA. And on to Camp Maxey TX. for advanced
training. Then in August 44 we left for Europe. Went to England, then
to France on to Belgium where we got our first combat experience in early
November 44. We was in a defensive position along the Siegfried line on
Dec. 6th when the Battle of the Bulge started our position was near
Krinkelt. Our platoon was attached to K-393 so we was surrounded by the
Germans and had to surrender to them. Before long, we also had to
carry their wounded and dead soldiers back to their bunkers until about
night, then was put on box cars. I was on that for four days with out
food or water. We went on to a POW camp at Moosburg, after we were there
for about two weeks me and some of my friends went on a work detail. Then
as the Americans was advancing they made us march on the road until the
Americans overtook us on April 29th 1945. After about three weeks I headed
home got home in June 45 was discharged in November 45 as a sergeant. I
married Doris Renfrow on Dec.31 1948. We lost our first baby in Sept. 49
then we had five more, - Donna was born in 51 - Joe in 53 - David in 54 -
Ricky in 56 - Rhonda in 60. Now we have seventeen grandchildren and one
great granddaughter as of right now. I won’t attempt to name all of them,
they are all wonderful people and I love them very much. I retired in 1982
as a paint and dry wall contractor. I am still in pretty good health for
which I thank God for.
Clifford F. Savage 8/26/99.
Message to Future Generations:
To the future
generations: I don’t feel like I am qualified to give expert advice to any
one, but I will say what I think about our country, just imagine what this
USA would be like now if the young men and women of the 1940’s had not
answered the call to defend America. We would probably be speaking a
different language and wouldn't have any freedom at all, this is by far
the greatest country in the world, so I say to the younger generation of
America let's keep it that way, have faith in God and be ready at all
times to give your life if necessary to keep America as it is today.
Clifford Savage
--8/26/99 ---
P.S. The
freedom that we have in America today was not free.
