Evening star., 1962-02-17

Their last maneuver had be
river-the only crossing within 4
by blocking its approach with
large tractors.
The Nazi commander, des-
perate, barked to his subordi-
mates when the four Americans
were brought before him: BE
fore you shoot them, search
them for the keys to the
tractors"
AS one Of the Nazis started
to search Capt. Erie Cooke, jr.,
who understood German, the
latter hauled off and knocked
him senseless with a left hand
wallop. The American was i'm
mediately cut down by shots
from the enemy soldiers, and
so were his three companions.
The Nazi officer, exasperated
at not finding the keys,
stamped over to where Capt.
Cooke was lying, kicked him
and fired what was to be the
coup de grace" shot into him.
But instead of p utting the
pistol to the Americans head,
the officer shot him in the
body.
The four Americans were left
for dead as the Wehrmacht
men continued their retreat
and left the small town of
Oberwilzinghen in the foothills
of the Alps.
He Survives
Eight hours later the towns
men came out to clean up the
battlefield. The dead men were
placed in a small cart. But
the villagers noticed that Capt.
Cooke was still alive, even if
family so. They recognized him
as the officer who had been
occupation commander when
the Americans held the town.
He had been kind and con-
siderate during the brief oc-
cupation. Now it was the vii
layers turn. One farmer in
particular, Lukas Walter, was
most helpful in seeing what
could be done to save the
Dawson (Ga.) native.
Placing him in a cart, they
took the almost-dead officer
four kilometers to a German
military doctor. He operated
and saved Capt. Cookies life.
About AZ hours in all had
gone by before he received
surgical help.
Tomorrow Erie Cooke, jr.,
former national commander of
the American Legion and now
the United States alternate ex-
ecutive director of the Inter-
national Bank for Reconstruc-
tion and Development (World
Bank, will relate his expert
ence during a Brotherhood
Sunday talk at the II am.
service in Briggs Memorial
Baptist Church, 5144 Massa-
chusettS avenue, WeStmOreland
Hills, Md.
Mr.. Cooke will tell of another
episode in the amazing story.
In 1851 he returned to Ober-
wilzinghen to astonish Herr
Walter and the other natives
and to stand upon the spot
where he had been executed"
A special commentary to the
story Is the fact that Herr
Walters son was killed in
World War II.
Everybody remembered every
thing about the incident except
the actual shooting" Mr.. Cooke
recalled today. "They could tell
me every movement 1 made
three hours before the shooting
and every movement three
hours afterwards, but tn cir
minds went completely blank
the few minutes Of the actual
shooting. I can understand
their desire not to get in
Volved."
Mr.. Cooke noted that after
his initial capture by a Prince
ton graduate, an exchange STU
dent to America, he had es-
capped three times. The last
dash resulted in the above
episode. When the German
captured him the first time,
Mr.. Cooke asked how he ex-
pected to get back to the
Wehrmacht.
Look, we have been with
drawing all over Europe and
we have learned how to get
out of tight places" was the
reply. Mr.. Cooke said the man
told him he had worked for
several firms in the United
States and knew such cities as
Knoxville and Chattoonaga
well. This officer captured the
American on the third escape,
and inflicted the would-be
"coup de grace"
Cites Faith and Training
Mr.. Cooke, a 6-foot, 2-inch
former football player whose
strong, genial personality fills
any room he enters, attributes
his survival to individual
ability, willpower and determi-
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