Sgt. Kennedy Tells Horrors While Prisoner
Conesville—Telling experiences which include an 80-mile march to a railroad which took but two days and a six-day ride in a box car without food or water, Tech. Sgt. Glenn Kennedy, liberated from a German prisoner of war camp on March 30, is visiting with his mother, Mrs. Pearl Kennedy of Conesville.
Packed into the box car so that only a few men could lie down at one time, the majority of soldiers with Tech. Sgt. Kennedy were being moved to the prison camp, spent Christmas day of 1944 standing in a box car somewhere in Germany. They were eventually taken to Ziegheim 9B.
Sgt. Kennedy, who was captured by the Germans in Belgium on Dec. 19, lost 45 pounds during his imprisonment. Men in the camp were cold and hungry all of the time and not once during their period in the camp were given a change of clothing. Their daily rations included a cup of tea for breakfast, soup for dinner and a loaf of bread provided for supper. The loaf of bread provided for the evening meal was shared by several men and once a week ten prisoners were required to share one loaf, Sgt. Kennedy said. When leaving the camp, the prisoners saw hundreds of bushels of potatoes which were not being used, he added.
His wife and daughters, Nancy Anne and Glenda Lou, reside in Iowa City. At the close of his furlough, July 21, Sgt. Kennedy will report to the rest camp at Little Rock, Ark.
Sgt. Kennedy spoke at a meeting of 150 members of the Farm Bureau held Thursday evening at the Oakland school.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, May 21, 1945 (photo included)
Glen N. Kennedy was born Jan. 6, 1915 to Wood T. and Pearl Kennedy. He died Feb. 6, 2004 and is buried in Catalina United Methodist Church Memorial Garden, Tucson, AZ.
Source: ancestry.com
