It is interesting that Germans fought not only in WWI & II but also in the Civil War or War Between the States in US.
Both sides had paid soldiers, I believe as well as spies. I told my husband that is the reason the Confederates lost because they could not understand the Germans when they asked which way did the Yankees, go, lol.
My 2nd great grandfather Jacob Haysmith Hydrick from Orangeburg County, SC was a Major in the Confederate Army. He at one time was stationed in Columbia, the capitol & center of SC & my home town. He was 43 at that time.
He & his first wife, my gr. gr. grandmother Margaret Hildebrand had 8 children including twin girls, like we have. The twins names were Mary & Martha. One dying at 12, we think of Typhoid fever. Margaret died at 57 & Major Hydrick married a woman 43 1/2 years younger than himself & younger than all his children. They had 6 children.
Margaret Hildebrand Hydrick's two brothers Andrew Jackson Hildebrand & Daniel Leonard Hildebrand were surgeons in the Confederate Army. They too survived the war.
I am interested in family history.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Korea, Japan, cook, large family, 38th parrallel, Waldorf-Astoria, New York City, New York
My husband didn't tell me much of his experience in Korea. This is about all I know. He said they shipped out of the state of Washington for Korea aboard a huge transport vessel. On the way over they went through a typhoon.
He said most of the soldiers were seasick but he slept through it in his hammock as he was used to a ship rocking a little when he came over to America as a displaced person from Germany.
His older brother, like I said before, was in the actual Korean conflict. My husband was not, being there 1956-58.
I told him he must have had it easy. He said no because they calculated about a 3-4 million Chinese troops across the 38th parallel & they could come over any time. The Americans had about 2 divisions, only a few thousand soldiers. The 8th Army division was in Japan, but would not have been able to get there in time if the enemy came across. The General said if they did come across to expect more than 90% casualties.
My husband was a cook & cooked for the officers, including the General. When the General was hungry they sent for him in the General staff car to fix him something to eat.
He was an apprentice chef at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City before being drafted.
Now he very rarely cooks!!!Lol. When you have a big family of 9 like we had, & many times including feeding some of the neighbors & extended family, I would peel 5 lb. of potatoes for a meal.
He tells me the reason he doesn't cook much now is when he was in the army he had kps to do most of the work & all he had to do was tell them what to do & supervise. Nothing much has changed!!
Before the 5th cavalry that he was in arrived the Chinese/N. Koreans came across & there were many casualties.
I told my husband, but you were the cook, so they wouldn't get you. Oh, yes, he said they did before, killing the cooks & others & hanging some from trees.
Several times when he was there they got false reports that whom they called "Joe Chink" came across borders & several soldiers killed themselves. They never came across when my husband was there, but I am sure it was very nerve racking.
He said the area he saw of Korea, the people were very poor.
He went to Japan also & said some sections the people were poor, but many sections they had nice homes & gardens & the people were very clean.
He said most of the soldiers were seasick but he slept through it in his hammock as he was used to a ship rocking a little when he came over to America as a displaced person from Germany.
His older brother, like I said before, was in the actual Korean conflict. My husband was not, being there 1956-58.
I told him he must have had it easy. He said no because they calculated about a 3-4 million Chinese troops across the 38th parallel & they could come over any time. The Americans had about 2 divisions, only a few thousand soldiers. The 8th Army division was in Japan, but would not have been able to get there in time if the enemy came across. The General said if they did come across to expect more than 90% casualties.
My husband was a cook & cooked for the officers, including the General. When the General was hungry they sent for him in the General staff car to fix him something to eat.
He was an apprentice chef at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City before being drafted.
Now he very rarely cooks!!!Lol. When you have a big family of 9 like we had, & many times including feeding some of the neighbors & extended family, I would peel 5 lb. of potatoes for a meal.
He tells me the reason he doesn't cook much now is when he was in the army he had kps to do most of the work & all he had to do was tell them what to do & supervise. Nothing much has changed!!
Before the 5th cavalry that he was in arrived the Chinese/N. Koreans came across & there were many casualties.
I told my husband, but you were the cook, so they wouldn't get you. Oh, yes, he said they did before, killing the cooks & others & hanging some from trees.
Several times when he was there they got false reports that whom they called "Joe Chink" came across borders & several soldiers killed themselves. They never came across when my husband was there, but I am sure it was very nerve racking.
He said the area he saw of Korea, the people were very poor.
He went to Japan also & said some sections the people were poor, but many sections they had nice homes & gardens & the people were very clean.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Korean war, German army
My husband's mother could have avoided the concentration camp if she had divorced her husband who was Jewish. She chose not to & went into camp with her husband & youngest son. She had 2 older sons by a previous marriage who were fighting for Hitler. The oldest was in the German Vermoth or army & was repeatedly sent to the front lines as were other soldiers who had Jewish relatives.
He was in a fox hole & buried by a tank, but his comrades dug him out. He was able to get to one of the last planes that left when the Russians came in at end of war. He was shot at & wounded escaping & had to climb over a stone wall, falling & knocking many of his teeth out. Although he survived this terrible ordeal he was shell shocked & shook must of the time even decades later. He is now deceased.
The middle brother was in the Hitler youth & had no home, so had to live on the street or anywhere he could find shelter.
He & older brother would go to authorities & appeal to them about their parents & younger brother. This may have delayed for a while their execution, but at end they would have been executed anyway if war had not ended.
The middle brother served in the US Army in Korea & saw combat.
My husband was also drafted into the army in 1958. He had papers from German doctors saying he was 30% disabled from his concentration camp ordeal but they took him anyway & sent him to Korea also.
He was in a fox hole & buried by a tank, but his comrades dug him out. He was able to get to one of the last planes that left when the Russians came in at end of war. He was shot at & wounded escaping & had to climb over a stone wall, falling & knocking many of his teeth out. Although he survived this terrible ordeal he was shell shocked & shook must of the time even decades later. He is now deceased.
The middle brother was in the Hitler youth & had no home, so had to live on the street or anywhere he could find shelter.
He & older brother would go to authorities & appeal to them about their parents & younger brother. This may have delayed for a while their execution, but at end they would have been executed anyway if war had not ended.
The middle brother served in the US Army in Korea & saw combat.
My husband was also drafted into the army in 1958. He had papers from German doctors saying he was 30% disabled from his concentration camp ordeal but they took him anyway & sent him to Korea also.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Welcome
This is a blog about marrying a concentration camp survivor & our marriage & raising a large family.
He was in a concentration camp during WWII with parents. They were freed at end of the war when he was 10 years old. He had open tb & of course was skin & bone & only weighed 50 lbs.
After being freed from concentration camp his family came to New York City.
I will tell you later about my experiences we've had in raising our family & dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which doctors said he has from concentration camp.
He was in a concentration camp during WWII with parents. They were freed at end of the war when he was 10 years old. He had open tb & of course was skin & bone & only weighed 50 lbs.
After being freed from concentration camp his family came to New York City.
I will tell you later about my experiences we've had in raising our family & dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which doctors said he has from concentration camp.
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