Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
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215642
Lt. Alexander Milan "Sascha" Veselinovic
Yugoslav Army
from:Kikinda, Yugoslavia
My father, Alexander Veselinovic was a prisoner of war for almost 4 years in Trier, Germany. He worked in the brick factory there where they gave them little food which was moldy bread and maybe some cheese. His friend, Ivan helped him with extra food and with his escape attempts. While he was in the camp, he used his medical knowledge to help keep soldiers from other countries alive.
During his 4th escape attempt, Alexander swam the Rhein to the American Allies camp on the other side. There, he helped the CIC map the mines that the Germans laid and worked as a translator and driver for the American Army.
He was such a good soldier who gave them vital information that helped the Armies advance against the Germans. He gained recommendations from the higher ranking officers that vouched for his character and received papers to come to America. He came in past Lady Liberty on the USS Ernie Pyle and went to Nebraska to look up his friend, Harold Swan of the US Army. He gave him a job, Alex met his wife Virginia there and married, they had 6 children were married for 38 years and lived in Glencoe, Mn.
We have a picture of him playing his violin with other musicians in front of a room full of Nazi officers.