Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505080020
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: FRANK SHELTON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When Charles finally got home in April of 1945, he told us this story:
"It was Christmas 1944, and a few of us with our commanding officers were directed to man an old farmhouse near a crossroads close to Bastogne. The next morning we saw several tanks coming toward us. Suddenly there seemed to be tanks coming from every direction.
"We were surrounded, and now - what would be our next move? One of my buddies became very excited and said that he was making a run for the woods near the farmhouse. 'No! No! If you run you will be killed,' I said. My buddy would not listen and out the back door he went.
"He had not gone 50 yards when he was literally cut in two.
"At this time our commanding officer found an old white sheet, tied it to a broom and stuck it out the door. We were ordered to come out with our hands up. We were manhandled, roughed up, mistreated and ordered to get in a truck.
"We were taken back a few miles and ordered into a railroad car where we were forced to stay without water, food, warm clothing or blankets. There was snow on the ground and the weather was cold. Some of the German soldiers poked some snow through the cracks for us.
"Our commanding officer climbed up the inside of the car so that he could see and asked for food and water. A few seconds later he was shot and he fell back to the car floor.
"We were gradually moved back from the front lines and got to a prisoner of war camp where we got soup made from potato peelings. We were starving for food. Another buddy became weakened and said that he was not going to make it - and died.
"I remember on one occasion that one of the prisoners found a tiny crust of bread and they fought over it. There were some British soldiers in camp with us and they acted differently. If one of them found a bit to eat, they would divide it among their soldiers.
"Then, one morning, we noticed that everything was unusually quiet. Very soon someone yelled that the Allies had taken our camp. The men who were able to yell did and gave thanks that we were finally rescued."
Charles never talked about his experiences as a prisoner of war and we understood. I do remember that Charles would say that his division in the army was the "hungry and sick," meaning the 106th.
Frank Shelton is a retired Christiansburg insurance agent. Charles Wesley Lawrence came back home, moved to Salem and worked for the General Electric Credit Union. He died in November 1993.
by CNB