Hello!
I had quite a day today. We started out at 7:30 for Sagan, Poland. The bus driver we were supposed to have wasn't able to drive our bus, so we got a new driver. The BIG problem is --he doesn't speak English. His primary language is Polish. They assured us that he spoke German though, but it is still a big effort to communicate. My sister speaks some German so with that and lots of pointing, we got to Sagan.
WOW, what an experience! First we went to see a film about the camp, with footage taken when our father was there. Then we toured the museum. There we saw lots of things that had been excavated from the camp. We saw a water pitcher like the one Mr. Bender told us about, plus checkers, chess pieces, cards, tools, barbed wire, etc. Then we went to a building that was recently built by the RAF, just like the ones the prisoners lived in, except not as many rooms. We saw the types of beds they had, the tables they made into sleds, the little stoves they had to keep them warm, and some things they took on the march. In addition to rebuilding a barracks, they built a section of tunnel like the one in "The Great Escape. " We could crawl down in it and see how they excavated it. There was also a "goon tower" (guard tower) we could climb. Then we loaded the bus again and headed a short distance to where the actual camp had been. There are only foundations of buildings left, but the guide was able to show each of us exactly where our dads' barracks had been. It was very moving to stand there and know that he had spent many months right at that location. My sister and I each picked up a memento to remember it. It was very touching to see the others' reaction to their dad's barracks. Of the 16 people on the march, there are only 2 others besides Miriam and myself whose fathers are still alive. Everyone has stories they have been told over the years and we have been sharing them constantly. At the location of the North Compound, we saw where Tunnel Harry was actually located and where the men came up, just a bit too short of the woods. Our final stop for the day was at the memorial for the 50 men from the Great Escape who were ordered to be killed by Hitler because they had escaped.
I am so blessed that my dad survived the parachute drop, survived the camp and the march and came home. God was certainly watching out for him! Please say a prayer for us about 4 pm your time tomorrow (11 pm our time) because that will be the time that we begin our walk.
As I am writing this, Flat Stanley is sleeping. He had an exhausting day--wait until you see the pictures! Keep up with him at the following link: Flat Stanley's Travels
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Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 25, 2009
Hey everyone,
We had breakfast in Berlin at 7AM and loaded the bus to head for Zagan, Poland. We traveled for about 4 hours through what was once East German, some large and small Polish towns and got to the prison camp at about 12:30. We viewed the museum, watched a video - very good video, climbed up into the guard tower (exhibit tower in front of museum), climbed into a sample tunnel and then headed to the prison camp. We went to the north, south and west compounds and found what was once the family members barracks. We saw what were once fire pools, barracks, kitchens, and a concrete path that marked the "Great Escape" tunnel. It had engraved stones with all of the Great Escapers names placed near the concrete path.
There were 76 that escaped even though they had hoped to get 200 out that evening. Of the 76 that were out, 50 were captured and murdered; 23 were recaptured and taken to camps throughout the region and only 3 got home. The men in the camp stalled being counted to help the men that were out get as far away from the prison camp as possible. This escape caused nearly 1 million Germans to be pulled off the front lines to find the escaped prisoners. Hitler was very angry and wanted to kill all of them. Hermann Goehring told Hitler that they couldn't kill them all as the Allies also held German prisoners.
Tomorrow I will attempt to call at 2PM for a live feed if possible. We will go to the Center Compound and Belaria that is a ways away from the main camp. We will then travel to the next town where some of the POWs rested in a church. It is a town called Itowa (say Ewauva. We will store our gear there and will return to the camp and will march out tomorrow night at 11PM. We will walk 9 miles and in the morning will give a program to the grade school kids at the Cahtolic school in Ilowa. We will then head out in the afternoon and will walk an additional 15 miles.
I will try to upload some photos this evening. Val
Read more!
We had breakfast in Berlin at 7AM and loaded the bus to head for Zagan, Poland. We traveled for about 4 hours through what was once East German, some large and small Polish towns and got to the prison camp at about 12:30. We viewed the museum, watched a video - very good video, climbed up into the guard tower (exhibit tower in front of museum), climbed into a sample tunnel and then headed to the prison camp. We went to the north, south and west compounds and found what was once the family members barracks. We saw what were once fire pools, barracks, kitchens, and a concrete path that marked the "Great Escape" tunnel. It had engraved stones with all of the Great Escapers names placed near the concrete path.
There were 76 that escaped even though they had hoped to get 200 out that evening. Of the 76 that were out, 50 were captured and murdered; 23 were recaptured and taken to camps throughout the region and only 3 got home. The men in the camp stalled being counted to help the men that were out get as far away from the prison camp as possible. This escape caused nearly 1 million Germans to be pulled off the front lines to find the escaped prisoners. Hitler was very angry and wanted to kill all of them. Hermann Goehring told Hitler that they couldn't kill them all as the Allies also held German prisoners.
Tomorrow I will attempt to call at 2PM for a live feed if possible. We will go to the Center Compound and Belaria that is a ways away from the main camp. We will then travel to the next town where some of the POWs rested in a church. It is a town called Itowa (say Ewauva. We will store our gear there and will return to the camp and will march out tomorrow night at 11PM. We will walk 9 miles and in the morning will give a program to the grade school kids at the Cahtolic school in Ilowa. We will then head out in the afternoon and will walk an additional 15 miles.
I will try to upload some photos this evening. Val
Read more!
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