My Dad, Edward Kirschstein was 18 yrs old when he was drafted in August of 1943 into the 'Friends & Neighbors' draft. He was sent to Camp Fanning in Tyler,Tx for his basic training and also to Camp Claiborne in La and Camp Van0Borhn in Ms. He was trained in Infantry Mortar Gunman, Rifle Marksman and foot soldier. He was sent to Camp Kilmor, NJ and this is where he was hooked up with the 84th Division called the Railsplitters. His company was Company k 335th 84th division. He left NJ on Sept.29th,1944 on a British ship. Shortly after taking off a freighter ran into them and they had to return to Camp Kilmor for a week or so to patch the hole in the ship.
He went to England first and than onto France. They were replacements for ones already there toward the end of the war. From France they went onto Germany on Oct 10th 1944 as a 'push' towards the end of the war and served in the Battle of the Bulge. Once they hit the shore line they were on foot for awhile and took over some small towns. One town that they were in they were put up in a motel to rest up. As they were looking for snipers they came across a chicken coup so they looked for some eggs to fix for breakfast and they found about 6 of them. Dad put them under his helmet for safe keeping to eat the next morning. But these ended up being decors, glass eggs.)
One morning while walking around they saw some tanks coming into town. Not thinking too much of it since they were American tanks until someone yelled and said the Germans were in the tanks and they started spraying everyone and killing many. Dad's sargent handed him a mortar gun and told him to go get them. He went to fire the gun but his partner didn't pull the pin and it blew up in his face. He had shrapnel in both eyes and his hand. A medic took him to a motel with several others wounded. He was in a coma for 3 days. When he woke up he couldn't see at all and ask for some water but there was none to give him since the water wasn't sanitized for drinking.
The Germans took over the motel. Those that were in 'ok' shape went out a window to escape before the Germans took over. There was 4 of them left in the motel and they were taken to an air raid shelter. If they heard planes flying over they would take them deeper into the shelter and once the planes stopped they took him back to the top again. Because he was wounded and was on a stretcher he had to have someone move him each time. From there he was taken to a train station on a horse and buggy sleigh to go to the first Prison camp. It was in winter and very cold with just one blanket to cover him. One guard took him but when the train stopped because it was being shot at from the planes the guard left Dad in the train and left for the woods until the planes stopped firing. Dad couldn't see so all he could do is lay there and listen to what was going on and hearing the bullets hit the trains roof.
The prison camp they took him to was a famous camp where they burned alot of the people. He figures they thought he was going to die too. He can't recall how long he was there but he was at 3 different prisons all together. The second prison he was at they took him to a doctor in town to look at his eye. He said his right eye would have to be removed or he wouldn't see again. So they took him to Heildburg Hospital for the surgery. They took him up a spiral stair case, cleaned him up for the first time since he got hurt and gave him clean clothes to wear. Then they realized he was in the wrong area of hospital and took him all the way down the staircase again on the stretcher to the basement where the surgery was to take place. They didn't have any anesthic so they strapped him on the table and told him to start counting. He remembers he got to 19 and passed out. They removed his right eye and 3rd right finger.
After recovering from this hospital they took him to Stalag 9C prison camp; #67. It was situatated in Bad Sulza Germany. He had mastoid surgery, had his jaw broken and wired and a fractured skull. I believe this is from all the abuse he went through while there. He didn't talk about this so I am assuming it to be the case.
One of the funny things he remembers being in prison. Each barracks had one night a week to get seconds from any left over IF there was any. One time the left overs were prunes. Dad ate 32 of them, not thinking of the effects it would have on him later on. There were 30 men to a barracks and only one toilet. He was on the toilet most of the night so there was always someone standing in line to use it.)
He was liberated on May 11th 1945 (Mothers day) by Gen. George S. Patton's 9th Armored Div. He was given a bottle of Cognac, Spaghetti dinner with Chocolate cake for dessert. From here he was sent to Cryle Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio and had several surgeries there. Than sent onto Battle Creek Hospital in Michigan but it was for arm & leg amputees so they sent him to Valley Forge Hospital in PA. He was awarded several medals along with the Purple Heart.
