European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Survivors of the nazi Camp in Buchenwald peer from their bunks. Imagine yourself. You Ore i 3 years old and your Mother hollers from the train. You re trying and you see that Guy with the dog. You never forget. A Bruno Ritter Ritter who joined the . Army after the War receives an award As a re enlistment no in 1965./. June 22, 1991 a and there were Many prisoners who slatted crying. And so. to Bury Thorn too. Just like that to said. A. A and when Topo a Job like that in a prison a. Camp you have to to. As had As a Stone a after years in Camps. Ritter s once muscular fiame had. Shrunk Uva Mere 70 pounds his Luck too appeared to have run out. A. A. A. A a. In Early May-1949. last Days of the War he and the remaining prisoners at f loss Enburg were loaded aboard a Coal Tram bound Tor a site where they would be. Executed so there would tie no evidence of a prison Camp fur said. A. A a. A. A a when i left of Mossenburg live Niles out probably american planes came Over and saw the train and saw the. Is men with machine guns Quot at the front and Back cars Ritter said. The americans strayed the Tram with gun we. And a the is men took of one Way and i escaped the other it a. A ,. A a a he lied to a Small farming Community near Nurnberg and found a Job Witti a Farmer a Short while later he saw american planes dropping leaflets telling German troops a to surrender. Instead the few remaining soldiers began digging in. A so i took a White Sheet wont on top of the Farmer s House and Hung it up. The. American tanks started coming the germans did t shoot the americans did t shoot a Ritter squeezed himself into a Chimney to hide until the americans arrived. A i came out of the Chimney and. Told them i was a polish do displaced person who put up the White Flag Quot. A. 7 the 16th army div chasing the reheating germans out of the area picked up the Young Ritter and put him to work As an interpreter and Driver for Cap Arthur Williams c of Kansas City Kan. >.��. After the War the officer became Ritter s Legal guardian and sent turn to Kansas City to live with his parents. A after graduating from Shawnee Mission High school in one year he asked a judge How Long it would take to become a . Citizen. A five years by the Normal process or three years if you join the army a tire judge told turn so. In 1948, in the army the army became Ritter s new Home acid for 21 years to excelled in his new life before retiring As a master sergeant he was selected As his outfit s outstanding Soldier during Basic training and subsequently served in. Germany for 14 years and in Hawaii for three years he also did a tour in Vietnam from 19gg to 19 37, where he earned a Bronze Star and the Vietnam service medal. To spent another 20 years walking for cafes and now a works for unit a German automobile insurance promised his first wife who died in 1972. That Fie t would try his life during world War ii As a result. He never followed up on claims for Fri Only was eligible to receive from the German government to compensate. For his imprisonment and the loss of his family few people in the army knew of ins past.,and he Only recently told his second wife about his experiences during the War. He soon plans to toll ins Story to his 18-year-old daughter who is Austria. Quot i just did no to want people to feel sorry for to i wanted to Start a new life Quot. ,. A his suffering. Ritter professes not to Core whether Schwammberge is ultimately�punished.,. T just want to testify what punishment the judge gives it s up to him Quot he said. A Chi Tell you in this world you have to learn How to forgive my heart is not a place for hate i am grateful for a living and i in grateful for the Chance to forgive that s the Only Way to live Fie said. Quot because when you hate then your life is not. Worth nothing
