Kriegie: An American Pow in Germany

By Oscar G. Richard III, III Richard, Oscar G., Oscar G. Iii Richard, et al.

Book Overview

Oscar G. Richard - a native of Sunshine, Louisiana -was not the usual World War II serviceman. After enlisting in the US Army Air Corps in 1942 and training diligently for many months, the B-17 bombardier spent only one week in combat. On his third and last mission - on January 14, 1944 - his plane was shot down over France and he was imprisoned by the Germans. Thus, like many in the Eighth Air Force in late 1943 and early 1944, he spent most of the war not in combat but in captivity. In this memoir, Richard describes his wartime experiences both before and after his capture, recounting the transformation of a fresh-faced recruit into a seasoned POW.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807125628
• ISBN13: 9780807125625
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Louisiana State Univ Pr
• Length: 130 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 0.8" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A true story

A few years ago I went to visit my uncle Joe in Florida for his 80th birthday. He was shot down by the Germans on Nov. 30, 1944 and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. For the first time he told me the whole story of his capture, internment and repatriation. By chance I purchased Kriegie a few months later and it was as if my uncle were telling the whole story over word-for-word. It turns out it was the same camp. I sent him the book and he verifies every interesting detail. This is a wonderful book and entirely accurate. A must read!

Kriegie

A wonderful "slice-of-POW-life"story! This is a must-read for everyone, but especially for those of my "baby-boom" generation who have enjoyed the fruits of the "Greatest Generation's" sacrifices. This is a very well-written and concise account of this author's training, his ill-fated bombing mission over France, and his imprisonment by the Germans. While the details of combat and solitary confinement are compelling, the stories of the POW's spirit and ingenuity are heartwarming. The author emphasizes that he was one of the lucky ones -- a very humble remark from someone who endured such hardships. I thank Oscar Richard for his hardships and sacrifices during the war, and I also thank him for telling his great story.

A short, absorbing true-life adventure

As a product of the baby boom generation, I grew up taking for granted the post-war, "Leave It To Beaver" cozy atmosphere of the '50's and early '60's. Despite the Cold War, I was rather unconcerned about war and its effects on real people. Then Viet Nam came along and many of us developed a distain for any kind of military engagement. The Viet Nam war did not evoke any spirit of patriotism as WWII had done. After reading this book, I realized how much WWII and those who fought in it affected the lives of those they left behind, and the generations to come. These were ordinary men, some recently out of high school or college who rose to the challenge of defending freedom for us and our allies. They willingly left behind comfortable, safe lives to answer the call of duty. The passages in this book describing the plane being hit, the author and his fellow crew members bailing out, facing more enemy gunfire and possible death were gripping. The account of prison camp life was interesing and entertaining. I was impressed with the ingenuity of the prisoners. This book and others like it should be mandatory for high school history classes. We should all be grateful to this "Greatest Generation."

Impressions of Another Time

First, I must tell you, the author is my uncle. Having said that, I was very favorably impressed with the picture the author paints. Even without several accompanying photographs, I could clearly picture in my mind the scenes described for me. Little things stood out such as a trip to Louisiana from California taking four days. I am proud of my uncle.... mostly because he deflects the accolades of his actions. Like many young men of this era, he is a hero and I'm a better man for knowing him and, through this book, his fellow servicemen.