Evening star., 1948-12-09
A Letter From an Ally

1t gave me great deal of pleasure to read
in The Star about the Yugoslav pilot who was
brought to the United States under the Dis
placed Persons Act by an American officer.
formerly prisoner of war in the same camp.
The story mentioned the fact that the Ameri-
can and the Yugoslav met in the German
POW camp of Hammelburg, and that the
Yugoslav shared his last crust of bread with
the American, thereby saving his life.
While reading this story could not help
thinking Of letter I recently received from a
Yugoslav ofhcer, now in hospital for tuber-
cular displaced persons In the British zone Of
Germany, to whom I had sent a CARE food
parcel His name was given to me by friend
interested in the plight of these forgotten men.
May quote from the letter?
In my fatherland, dear Madam, I was an
ofhcer of the general staff happy husband
and father. Believe me. it was more than
easy for me at the end of January, 1945 with
the temperature minus % degrees, to take of
my most warm underwear and socks and to
give these to an American companion who was
in more trouble than I. He was captured by
the Germans at the beginning of January by
the last German action in Belgium and then
brought to our POW camp.
"All his property was taken, and I saw how
the Germans brought them without clothes,
hungry and cold. The Germans did not care
that these were American officers and treated
them just as they treated U.s. We had then
already been for 81 years inside this barbed
wire Just that day a companion of mine, a
Slovene, received good parcel and a good
part of it he gave me-for myself packed
that with some useful things and called an
American major to the barbed wire that sepa-
ted md fhorn IN ca Sto al
to know each other.
Just so 1t was easier for me not to eat two
days, but to give my ration to the same friend,
when he collapsed exhausted by famine in
March. Our food in the camp was miserable
-750 calories day This companion was a
major of the United States Army shall not
tell you his name). He did not know that I
hungered those days, perhaps he thought that
I had something better to eat I never saw.
him before, perhaps shall not see him again.
We were friends then-in the POW Oficers'
Camp XIII-B Hammelburg
I'VE were liberated on June 4, 1945, by Gen.
Patton's troops. Some days later my COM
panion went away-happy; he went back to his
wife and son who waited for him in their free
and happy fatherland. He even did not say
good-by to me.
After four years of imprisonment we re-
fused to go back to Titos slavery. We are
among those who won the war but lost all
we had; our fatheriand, our families, our free
dom and have become despised DPS. We have
the impression: You played your part you
may die now. Seven and a half years have
passed away since I saw my family the last
time. Then my little daughter was ten
months old. She has already grown a big girl
and she does not know me. She and her
mother are hungry, needing shoes and clothes
fought for us to be better. Who knows
whether shall see them again? - Your
parcel surprised and confused me. admit,
did not expect it. And felt very bad. You
will understand and, I beg you excuse
me. I" ."
I am asking you to print this letter with
the hope that it may remind some Americans,
either soldiers, their families or any one else
to remember those who have helped them
during some dif1cult period Of their lives.
Naturally, not all of us are in position to
bring displaced person to this country, but
we can do the next best thing: We can remem-
Der them with parcels and letters. We can