Capt. Edward M. Bender – B-17G Pilot, 457th Bomb Group, 750th Squadron, based at Glatton, England. On his 13th mission on April 25, 1944, the borrowed plane he was flying went down near La Goulafriere, Eure, France (original target Nancy-Essey, France; group commander insisted that they head for a ‘target of opportunity’ to the submarine pens at Lorient, France). Captured by a unit of Hitler’s teenaged ‘crack babies’ and interrogated at Dulag Luft, Oberursel, Germany, about three miles from where his great grandfather lived prior to coming to the U.S. in 1838. Sent to Stalag Luft III, West Compound, Block 158, Combine 13. Force marched in January, 1945 to Stalag XIII-D and then in April to Stalag VII-A, from where he was liberated by Gen. Patton’s army on April 29, 1945. He is publishing his memoirs as “Lest They Forget Freedom’s Price: Memoirs of a WWII Bomber Pilot.” Native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Retired from the Reserves as a Lt. Col. He is very excited to watch the progress of the forced march reenactment this January. ˇ
Lt. James Arnett Gore - B-17 Navigator, 379th Bomb Group, 524th Squadron, based at Kimbolton (England). Shot down June 25, 1943, over Hamburg, Germany. SLIII South Compound, Block 139, Combine 3. James Gore lives in Durango Colorado with his wife of 63 years. He is 91 and is excited about the forced march reenactment trip to be completed by the children of SLIII POWs (a.k.a., "Kriegies"). He went back to Stalag Luft III in 2005 with his family and drove the march route. He looks forward to hearing about the adventure.
Lt. James H. Keeffe, Jr. - Seattle, WA. B-24 co-pilot with the Lt. James McArthur crew, 566th Bomb Squadron, 389th Bomb Group. Based at Hethel, East Anglia, England near Norwich. Shot down the 8th of March, 1944 on 4th mission - target Berlin. Bailed out over Papendrecht, Holland and evaded with the Dutch underground for five months in Rotterdam, Holland. While on his way to France, he was betrayed to the German Intelligence Service in Antwerp, Belgium and sent to Stalag Luft III in August, 1944, where he was put into Center Compound, Block 43, Combine 7. Evacuated with the reset of Stalag Luft III, 27th of January, 1945 and marched 52 miles and then transported in box cars to Moosburg, Bavaria, to Stalag VIIA. Liberated on the 29th of April, 1945. Currently residing in Bellevue, WA, at age 85. He thinks we are crazy to do this march in winter - but he is also quite proud and touched that we are.
2nd Lt. Thomas Conway Leary - P-51 pilot, 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, 15th Air Force, based in Madna, Italy. Shot down over Seregeles, Hungary, October 14, 1944. Belaria Compound. Native of Kansas City, Missouri.
2nd Lt Charles W. Arnett – B-24 Pilot, 492nd Bomb Group, 857th Squadron, stationed at North Pickenham (England). Shot down on 3rd mission over Brunswick, Germany, May 19, 1944. SLIII West Compound, Block 166, Combine 13. Won the lottery which got him a seat on the very first plane evacuating the American POWs from Moosburg. Retired as a Lt. Col.
2nd Lt. Thomas F. Jeffers – Bombardier, 458th Bomb Group, 754th Squadron, flying out of Horsham St. Faith, England. He was shot down on his third mission to Fassberg, Germany, flying in a borrowed B-24 called Rhapsody in Junk. He flew out early that morning knowing that all his roommates had been killed the day before over Caen, France, flying in his crew's plane that they had borrowed. Jeffers was picked up in a farmer's field in Blick, Germany, a tiny farming community not far from the hometown of several of his wife's relatives. Nine of his crew survived, but the top turret gunner was found dead on the ground and was buried in a German cemetery. Jeffers was transported to Stalag Luft III and lived in Block 128, Combine 5. While there, his first child was born. He was later liberated at Stalag VIIA in Moosburg, Germany. He went on to be a career Air Force officer, retiring as a Lt. Col. He died June 24th, 2004. Jeffers is the subject of his daughter Marilyn Walton's book, Rhapsody in Junk: A Daughter's Return to Germany to Finish Her Father's Story.
Vernon Burda – B-24 Navigator, 781st Bomb Squadron, 15th Air Force, stationed at Pantenella (Italy). Shot down on his 30th mission over Vienna, Austria, July 16, 1944. SLIII Center Compound, Block 43, Combine 7.
Lt. Morris F. Epps - B-24 Liberator bombardier, 448th Bomb Group, 714th Squadron, served with “The Mighty Eighth” out of Seething, East Anglia, England. On his fifth mission (June 18, 1944) his plane was shot down over Hamburg, Germany. He was captured by the Luftwaffe, taken to Dulag Luft and then to Stalag Luft III where he was placed in the South Compound, Barrack 128, Combine 13. On January 27, 1945, he was in ill health when the South Compound was ordered to lead a forced evacuation of Stalag Luft III. After marching 35 miles in 27 hours, his section rested in a glass factory in Muskau and then departed, leaving the sick behind with the West Compound men. He later moved to a pottery factory, a paper factory, and finally to another pottery factory where he joined the men of Center Compound with whom he completed the fifty-two mile march and the subsequent 72-hour boxcar ride. His journey ended at Stalag VIIA in Moosburg, where he stayed until liberated on April 29, 1945. After liberation, he returned home to his wife in Knoxville, Tennessee. He sought a life of helping others and began a career in education after college, working in Virginia and New Jersey. He dearly loved teaching and spent several years in the classroom. Afterwards, he served in a number of administrative leadership positions, including superintendent of schools.
It is with a grateful heart that Epps’ daughter acknowledges the following fellow Kriegies who shared the POW experience with him and who (after Epps’ death in 1998) helped her to deepen her understanding of the experiences that molded her father into the special individual he became. Of particular help were Harold Garman (Center Compound), Chuck Conner, Bud Hinckley, Alexander Jefferson, Charles Woehrle, Chuck Yant (all of South Compound), and those who attended the 2005 POW reunion in Tucson.
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