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William F. Schmidt Bio - After
graduation from Youngstown-Rayen in 1943, Bill enlisted in the Army
Specialized Training Reserve Program, attended Indiana University.
He began 1944 at infantry basic training at Ft. Benning and on
completion (since the ASTP program had been cut) was sent to to the
Fort Bragg, 100th division. Shipping out with the division in
October, the unit went on line in the Seventh Army sector with the
399th Rgt., Company E, as a PFC. rifleman.
After two months of advancing
toward the Maginot line, Bill was taken captive with his squad by the
German counteroffensive "Operation Northwind" January 1st.,
in a blockhouse near Bitche.
Bill was transported back to a labor
camp south of Dresden in four stages on box cars. Most notable
was the 90 men in the car the first night and the allied bombing
daylight raid on the Hamburg rail-yards and third leg of the
trip.
He was in one of the 13 labor
camps of IVA, near Bad Shandau/Elbe doing pick and shovel work on the
standard scanty rations. Toward the end of April he collapsed at
morning roll call and wound up in the camp hospital, (a number of
straw pallets on the floor of a small barracks).
As the Russians approached the
Elbe river the camp was evacuated and it was every man for himself.
However Bill was taken by stretcher to a house on the west bank by
some fellow prisoners where he was liberated two days later.
At
war’s end Bill was in U.S. Army hospitals from May to December.
Honorable Discharge on December 17, 1945. Through the G.I. Bill, received
College and Seminary Education and was ordained in 1952. Served in six
congregations during a ministry of 38 years.
Became a Life Member of
the American Ex-Prisoners of War and a Charter Member of the Fairfield
Barbed Wire Chapter in Ohio in 1980. Bill is our current
National Commander - 2000- 2001 and was a National DIrector for
4 years, a National Jr. Vice Commander 1 year and a National Sr. Vice
Commander 1 year. In addition he served as Chapter
Commander of the Mid-South Chapter (TN) and also Ohio Chapter No. One.
He has attended fourteen National Conventions since 1986.
Bills message to the future
generations is; "The image of freedom and future
purpose under God will give one hope to stay alive in very adverse
conditions. "
Click here to see
Bills Photo Album
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