Veteran Russell Bailey
Patriotic Cornucopia: Tribute to A Veteran:
Russell Bailey
Russell Bailey is one high?octane octogenarian. He draws on
his many former years as a teacher and Guidance Counselor in
North Rose, when he relates the challenges he faced as a Prisoner
of War during WWII. The 8th Graders at Red Creek Central know,
first hand, what a dynamic speaker he is, because Russell Bailey
has been sharing his story with each class for the past ten
years.
His retirement from North Rose 25?years ago has seen him
remain active in the WCTA Credit Union as a Supervisor, as well
as many other activities. He devotes much of his time during the
growing season to his large flower gardens and as a welcomed
guest lecturer.
Russell was a PFC with the 5th Army’s 36th Infantry Division
in Italy for about two months when they crossed the river to
invade France in August of 1944. He was a Browning Automatic
Rifle (BAR) carrier, when he was captured and detained for nine
months. As most military men will tell you: the BAR is like a
machine gun, so when the enemy identifies you, you’re their prime
target; hence, BAR carriers usually have short lives.
“April 29, 1945. It was a morning just like any other
morning in southern Germany,” Russell Bailey told the members of the Col. Wm. Prescott Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.
“The weather was mild. We sat
outside the barracks, looking around as we had done so many
mornings. Looking at the barbed wire that encircled the
compound; and the regular German guards, the old men, the
Wehrmacht, who walked all around the perimeter of the camp. We
thought about food, because it was constantly on our minds ? the
lack of it.
Then, it seemed as if something was different. It wasn’t
quite like all the other mornings. The guards that walked around
the camp seemed agitated for some reason. As if they were
expecting something. And then, off in the distance, we heard
small arms fire. Rifle fire which was Very, very unusual.
This camp is located in southern Germany, near Munich in a
place called Moosburg.
That morning, when we started hearing the small arms fire,
we heard the German guard holler at us: Your General Patton is
here. All is over.
We looked up. We weren’t sure. We’d heard so much talking
over the last months, we didn’t know what to believe. I looked
over the center of the stalag, the camp to where there was a
great tower. On the top of that tower was a flag. That flag was
the German swastika. Every morning when we got up, we always saw
the German swastika flying from the tower over this camp. It was
no different this morning.
As I looked over in that direction, one of the greatest
events in my life occurred. Slowly, hesitatingly, down came the
German zwastika. In its place, more quickly, rose the American
flag. We had been liberated!”
Russell Bailey has lived to tell the tale. He’s even
eligible to join the Sons of the American Revolution (S.A.R.)s!
(NOTE: This is an excerpt from Mr. Bailey’s talk to the Col. Wm. Prescott Chapter, N.S.D.A.R. On June 15, 2005.)
Column To: Ashleah Reitz, Editor,
11/09/2005 Wayne County STAR Newspaper
Cornucopia
by Kate Chamberlin
986-1267 E-mail: KATHRYNGC@JUNO.COM
Copyright 8 2005 by Kate Chamberlin
Tribute to A Veteran:
Russell Bailey
Russell Bailey is one high?octane octogenarian. He draws on
his many former years as a teacher and Guidance Counselor in
North Rose, when he relates the challenges he faced as a Prisoner
of War during WWII. The 8th Graders at Red Creek Central know,
first hand, what a dynamic speaker he is, because Russell Bailey
has been sharing his story with each class for the past ten
years.
His retirement from North Rose 25?years ago has seen him
remain active in the WCTA Credit Union as a Supervisor, as well
as many other activities. He devotes much of his time during the
growing season to his large flower gardens and as a welcomed
guest lecturer.
Russell was a PFC with the 5th Army’s 36th Infantry Division
in Italy for about two months when they crossed the river to
invade France in August of 1944. He was a Browning Automatic
Rifle (BAR) carrier, when he was captured and detained for nine
months. As most military men will tell you: the BAR is like a
machine gun, so when the enemy identifies you, you’re their prime
target; hence, BAR carriers usually have short lives.
“April 29, 1945. It was a morning just like any other
morning in southern Germany,” Russell Bailey told the members of the Col. Wm. Prescott Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.
“The weather was mild. We sat
outside the barracks, looking around as we had done so many
mornings. Looking at the barbed wire that encircled the
compound; and the regular German guards, the old men, the
Wehrmacht, who walked all around the perimeter of the camp. We
thought about food, because it was constantly on our minds ? the
lack of it.
Then, it seemed as if something was different. It wasn’t
quite like all the other mornings. The guards that walked around
the camp seemed agitated for some reason. As if they were
expecting something. And then, off in the distance, we heard
small arms fire. Rifle fire which was Very, very unusual.
This camp is located in southern Germany, near Munich in a
place called Moosburg.
That morning, when we started hearing the small arms fire,
we heard the German guard holler at us: Your General Patton is
here. All is over.
We looked up. We weren’t sure. We’d heard so much talking
over the last months, we didn’t know what to believe. I looked
over the center of the stalag, the camp to where there was a
great tower. On the top of that tower was a flag. That flag was
the German swastika. Every morning when we got up, we always saw
the German swastika flying from the tower over this camp. It was
no different this morning.
As I looked over in that direction, one of the greatest
events in my life occurred. Slowly, hesitatingly, down came the
German zwastika. In its place, more quickly, rose the American
flag. We had been liberated!”
Russell Bailey has lived to tell the tale. He’s even
eligible to join the Sons of the American Revolution (S.A.R.)s!
(NOTE: This is an excerpt from Mr. Bailey’s talk to the Col. Wm. Prescott Chapter, N.S.D.A.R. On June 15, 2005.)
Copyright 2005, 2010 by Kate Chamberlin. All Rights Reserved.