Another View of the War

[don744]

I want to take a minute to remember a veteran of WW 2. As you read this, don’t mistake the context, Rudi (or Ludolph Held) was a German Soldier. He was nothing more than a German citizen that was conscripted to serve during the war. When I was first assigned to 1^st Infantry Division (1^st MP Co in Wuerzburg) Rudi was the “Company Barber”. Never having seen a company barber before, I was totally intrigued.

I met Rudi for the first time in NOV 1998. He was an unassuming man that reminded me greatly of my Grandfather. I would get a haircut and listen to the same stories my own “Grumps” would tell me about his time in the Navy in the pacific. He was the self proclaimed “Barber to the Stars”, meaning he cut the hair of many general officers. Seems like a lot of staff officers in the division grew up to be big names in the military… Joulwan, B.B. Bell, and Shinseki to name a few of the guys that were on his wall.

I always treated Rudi well, when other Soldiers and leaders questioned why he needed to have a barbershop in our Company area. Well…as Paul Harvey used to say…here is the rest of the story.

Rudi was a barber in the Bahnhof (train station) in Wurzburg during the war. He got his conscription notice and was sent to be an air defense artilleryman on the eastern front. When the Russians began rolling thru his sector… he, and a couple of comrades, deserted and headed back home. Rudi and his friends made it back to the town of Dettelbach (outskirts of Wurzburg) just as the American Army rolled thru…and captured him and his friends.

He was interred in an American POW camp. Since he had been a barber before the war…he performed that service for the prisoners and guards. In accordance with the rules of war during that time…it didn’t matter who captured you…it was on what front you served that determined who was your captor. Rudi and his friends were slated to be returned to the Russians.

Before the transfer happened, an American MP Lieutenant decided that Rudi would stay. His friends were sent to the Russians. Whether or not they were all killed, Rudi never heard from any of them again. From that time, Rudi stayed with the Military Police Company assigned to the division in Wurzburg. I took care of Rudi in his last years in the company. In May 2001 I was reassigned to the division IG office, which was right next door to the company.

I always visited, and made sure he was taken care of, but in September 2001, he passed away. I mourned his passing as if he was my own grandfather. Today, for some reason, I thought it appropriate to remember this man. Although not an American citizen, and a former foe,…he was a man that felt he was indebted to us in a way not many can understand.

[DMZ-LT]

My grandfather fought for Germany in WWI and was wounded at Verdun .My Dad fought in WWll in the BRO. I honor both. I was in Erlangen 3/37 Armor in 1970. Welcome here.