Ed & Ray Hersman in WWII - Robert Marks.org

Chapter 8Ernest Ray Hersman’s POWExperienceby Ray Brent Hersman 1LTC, IN (lieutenant colonel, Infantry)Dad didn’t talk about his military experience much prior to my enlistingin the Army. And, even then, he only related some experiences concerninghis training. It wasn’t until after my return from Vietnam that Dad talkedabout his combat and prisoner of war experience. After Dad’s death, wemoved to Pekin, IN and it wasn’t long till I learned that a neighbor had alsobeen a POW, and as it turned out, was in the same camp as Dad. His namewas Ralph (Tub) Russell, and he helped fill in some of the blanks in Dad’sstory, providing explanations of some of the events. (Tub didn’t know Dad.)8.1 DeploymentDad served in combat in the 78th (Lightening) Infantry Division. In lateNovember 1944, the 78th was pulled from the line and moved to the area1 This is the story of Ernest Ray Hersman’s capture and confinement as a prisoner ofwar of the German’s during World War II as told to his son, Ray Brent Hersman.104