 |
EVERETT EUGENE (GENE) PIRTLE |
 |
Son remembers stories of his father's
capture
"My
father was a highly decorated prisoner of war in Germany.
He was taken prisoner Sept. 13, 1944. He
received the Purple Heart and several other citations as well.
"He
told us numerous stories of his time in the war, some sad and some funny, but overall his
experiences in the war were sad ones.
"He
was wounded in Germany by being shot in the leg and was then captured by the Germans. He told us that he would have to pay the German
soldiers candy bars from the United States in order to get medical attention to his
wounded leg.
"He
thought that many times he would not make it home, but through his prayers and faith in
God, he made it through the war. My father was
a brave and daring man who loved his country very much.
"My
father died in Farmington on June 16, 1994 at the age of 70.
He was a member of theVFW Post 5896 and the American Legion and the AmVets. He has nine surviving children, all of the
Farmington and Park Hills area.
"My
father had flash backs of the war many times and would sit and cry for his lost companions
in the war and would talk about how they were forgotten and how it bothered him so. He had great respect for those men who served their
country."
Also
enclosed was a letter written to his parents Mrs. and Mrs. Theodore Pirtle:
"Dear
Mother,
"I
am a prisoner of war in Germany. I am in a
German hospital. I have a wound in my left leg
- will be well soon. Don't worry about me,
hope to see you soon. Tell all I said Hello.
"Your
loving son, Gene."