Hitler’s Tenant

Book excerpt: This is the story of an eleventh generation “Yankee”, who joined the military during WWII. After completing high school Harv enlisted in the military only to find himself on his way to Europe to serve as a B24 combat navigator –bombardier in the 15th Air Force. On April 25, 1944 Harv was on a raid to Varese, Italy when the 450th bomb group formation got into the clouds and the plane, Maiden USA, was struck by a force of German ME-109’s. The Maiden USA suffered severe damage as the Luftwaffe continued to attack. A number of crew members lost their lives while others were injured and parachuted from the aircraft. The nineteen year old “Yank” found himself a POW in Hitler’s Third Reich at Stalag Luft III. He participated in two of the infamous camp evacuation marches that occurred near the end of the war. Harv relates his experiences as the youngest member of the camps and how he survived. The book gives the reader a vivid first hand portrayal of a young American’s fear and hope during his capture and confinement by the Germans. During the ordeal Harv was able to see the humor in a tough situation.