Recollections of World War II
Those among us who participated in World War II are growing fewer in number and their memories of their war experience are valuable pieces of our history which should be preserved. The movie, “Saving Private Ryan” has made scenes of that war vivid for everyone who saw it. One of the veterans of that war in our midst is Dr. Frank Horvay, professor emeritus in German from Heidelberg College, who entered the army as a private in l943 and retired from the Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel. Frank is a naturalized citizen who came to this country from Hungary in l939 to study German at the University of Alabama and went on to Washington University at St. Louis to begin work on his doctorate in German. He enlisted in l943 and after basic training, the army made use of his education as an instructor in a special battalion which trained illiterates in reading, writing, and math.
The value of a recruit who knew three languages, German, Hungarian and English was soon recognized, and he became part of the Army Specialized Training Program He was sent to study at the University of California at Berkley. Professors there taught their unit the geography, politics and history of the Balkans. It was thought at that time that the British and American forces might retake Europe through the Balkans. Our ally, Russia, was opposed to that idea and invasion of Europe took another route.
Much of the training in this program involved learning how to set up a military government and arrange for public security in a newly conquered area.
Frank Horvay was assigned to General Patton’s Armored Division in the 3rd Army. As they rolled into Germany, he was involved in a battle that he felt was similar to the action in the later part of the movie, “Saving Private Ryan”.
In the Rohr valley, the division was moving through a narrow space surrounded by hills on either side. They were soon under fire from enemy guns high on those hills. He and the others in the column abandoned their vehicles and flattened themselves in the ditches as the firing continued. Finally the right and left flanks of Patton’s division subdued the guns on the hills and Frank and those of his comrades who were still alive were able to climb out of the ditches and assess the damage. Not one tire in the jeep they were riding in was left with air in it. All had been hit by shrapnel.
Another time his unit approached a village where the bridges across the river were all out. The Americans called the villagers together and told them their orders were to have a bridge across the river by tomorrow night. Everyone in the village helped to roll telephone sized poles down to the river and secure them with U hooks. They had to put up signs, 5 miles per hour, because the bridge was so unsteady, but it held.
Later in Germany he went into villages in conquered territory and set up a military government. He and his unit chose a mayor from among the villagers who had not supported the Nazis, set up police, and hunted down any Nazis who were guilty of war crimes and sent them before the Nuremberg Court. .
Frank cited as an example, a war criminal who was exposed by the villagers in Ansbach. As the Allied Army approached, a young man secretly went among the people and proposed that all the villagers fly white flags so that their village would be spared from enemy fire. The highest ranking German officer in the village caught this young man and hanged him in the public square. This German officer was captured by Frank’s unit and sent to trial at Nuremberg. Often youth gangs called werewolves still supported the Nazis and they were rounded up.
Frank felt that he escaped certain death by chance on another occasion. He frequently accompanied one officer as he traveled from one village to another. This officer collected German pistols. On Frank’s day off, another interpreter and this officer didn’t return when they were expected, and later their jeep was found burned at a crossroads and both of them had been shot. Frank feels that they were caught by a roving group of German soldiers who were enraged at the collection of German pistols in the officer’s possession.
After Germany surrendered, Patton’s army was stationed in Berlin, and the unit continued its de-nazification work. Patton was criticized by the press back home because he hobnobbed with German aristocrats and other big shots who had been high up in the German government. Because of that criticism, the unit was ordered to intensify their efforts to rout out Nazis. Frank feels that the movie “Patton” was accurate in its portrayal of General Patton.
Generally the attitude of the German people was helpful to the advancing Allied Army. On one occasion a woman stopped the division and warned them that she saw the German Army putting mines in the road. The stench of the bombed-out buildings and people who had been burned was one Frank will never forget. The German civilians had very little food, and they counted themselves lucky if they were able to work for the allies in some capacity and secure rations. Other Germans lined up to grab the garbage that was left at the end of the line in the American’s field kitchen.
There were hoarders. The castle of Baron Hoenning O’Carroll in Sunching in southern Germany was occupied by Frank’s unit. Large quantities of chocolate and powdered milk from the American Red Cross were found in the basement. The baron and his wife, who had to live in his stable, were horrified when the Americans distributed his hoard to the villagers
Perhaps other veterans would like to share their memories of World War II with us. We would be happy to talk with them.