Robert Slane

Journey to Freedom and Beyond Robert Slane

Two soldiers manned each gun. As this action was taking place on the ground, we noticed that every guard tower was being reinforced with an additional occupant and the weather cover that normally protected their machine guns had been removed. Each guard in the tower had also been equipped with a rifle. All weapons were pointed in our direction. It was a chilling, sobering experience. We received word from Col. Goodrich that the "passive resistance" was over. The directive did not require repeating. The German commandant had clearly made his point. The prisoner count and subsequent prisoner counts were conducted in an orderly manner. It wasn't until the first week in April 1944, that we were informed that the majority of the escapees from the North Compound had been captured and that fifty men had been murdered on orders from the German High Command. Many of those shot had been prisoners for several years, having been captured early in the war. This unpredictable action by the Germans was devastating news. There was no easy way to overcome the profound effect the deaths of these men had on their close friends and the rest of the prison population. Realistic and gritty, Journey to Freedom and Beyond delivers a compelling true World War II story that showcases the triumph of the America soldier.