Irwin Stovroff was born in Buffalo, New York in August 1922 and remained in Buffalo until he went to college. It was a cold and snowy community. His father had landed at Ellis Island before moving to Buffalo. [Annotator's Note: Ellis Island was a major entry point for immigrants arriving in the United States from Europe, Africa and Russia.] The family settled in Buffalo because his father had left Siberia and the weather in upper New York was very close to what he had experienced in Russia. His dad was in the liquor business and did well until Prohibition. The enactment of Prohibition made a big change in everything the family did. [Annotator's Note: The Volstead Act in 1920 was the illegalization of the sale, consumption, distribution and production of any alcoholic beverages. The Act was repealed in 1933.] At that time, his father had to find another job. He had acquired a large business in liquor wholesale, distribution and retail, but it was all taken from him when Prohibition was enacted. His father refused to go underground in the liquor bootleg business. None of the work his father obtained was nearly as successful as being in the liquor business. His parents taught the Stovroff children that they had to do something in terms of work. Early in life, Stovroff would get a newspaper route and that entry into the business would be significant to him later in life. Stovroff would attend college at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He was in college when Pearl Harbor was attacked. His first reaction was to find out exactly where Pearl Harbor was located. The next thought was when they were going into the service. Everyone knew they would participate in the service. To be 4F [Annotator's Note: 4F was the Selective Service classification that an individual was unfit for military service] was not a very honorable situation. Stovroff volunteered for the Army Air Corps but was told to go back to school and that he would be contacted when the time for his entry into the service was appropriate.

Irwin Stovroff got the call for service in the military, but it was not the assignment he anticipated. Instead of entry into the Army Air Corps, he was told to report to Fort Niagara in Niagara Falls. After basic training, he was told that he would join the 14th Armored Division at Fort Smith, Arkansas. Despite his requests for review of his orders, nothing was done for 90 days. He had completed his basic training when the correction was finally made for him to report for Air Corps duty. Stovroff knew from his basic training that he would somehow find a way to get into the Air Corps instead of armor or infantry. Because the Air Force was looked upon with greater prestige, he was able to be transferred without any issues. He had volunteered originally for the Air Force because he knew it was his responsibility to serve in the military. Additionally, his brother had volunteered for the Navy. His brother had been at Notre Dame when he was sent to Purdue University for Navy training. Everyone that Stovroff knew was ready to serve. The Air Force was his choice because of the flying and the special feelings that came with that. Importantly, it would be a clean way of life versus the infantry with its foxholes and mud. Being in the air was a clean way to live and even die, if the situation arose. In combat, the completion of 35 bombing missions resulted in a fatality rate of over 70 percent. The threshold for missions was originally set at 25 but was upped to 35 as the war progressed and the numbers of lost crews grew. The Air Corps had the highest percent of losses of any of the services. Stovroff was on his last mission when he was shot down. After assignment to the Air Corps, Stovroff went to Texas for training. He spent so much time in Texas; he thought the war was there. At Kelly Field, the classification for their future position assignment would be determined. Since the need for pilots was not great and the fatality rate of bombardiers and navigators was high due to their flight position in the forward part of the bomber, Stovroff chose to be a bombardier. It was great. There were four different stages of training. It began with the bomb sight and ended in Tucson, Arizona for assignment to a crew and plane. Stovroff had previously flown before the service. He initially flew over Niagara Falls after takeoff from his hometown of Buffalo, New York. It was exciting to fly over the falls. Flying was fun until someone started shooting at your plane. His bomber and crew assignment was great. The pilot was a character named John Milligan. He had no fear. The copilot was a completely different person who became a good friend. The navigator was named Bertolli. He was a very steady man. The other six men included a flight engineer and gunners. They were terrific. It was a compatible crew. There are only three left now. Marty Richard is a good friend. [Annotator's Note: The spelling of the names of Stovroff's fellow crewmen was not be verified.] The B-24 [Annotator's Note: Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber] was an excellent airplane just like the B-17 [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber]. The Liberator took him through 34 missions. Stovroff was assigned to the 506th Squadron, 44th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force [Annotator's Note: 506th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force] out of England. Those flying out of Italy were in the 15th Air Force. He deployed in early 1944 by flying the northern route through Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and into England. No one actually knew where they were during the flight. [Annotator's Note: An incoming phone call momentarily interrupts the interview.] It was a dangerous route for the inexperienced and young bomber crews. They were ambitious and made the flight successfully. Bertolli, the navigator, was a good boy but it was his first flight overseas. The route was mapped but things could change during the flight. Once the crew made Iceland, they had a good chance to succeed. Stovroff could not remember seeing other planes flying along side of his bomber during this deployment flight.

Irwin Stovroff was based in Shipdham Airfield outside of Norwich, England. Norwich was the central point for many of the bomb crews and groups. Base facilities were good. Bunks were good because this was a permanent installation. After take-off, the planes were near to continental Europe and combat. The first mission for Stovroff was incredible. His bomber participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy. [Annotator's Note: On 6 June 1944.] It was an early morning, and they were told that they would be part of history. The bombers had to be sure the Germans were bombed near the coast so they would be prevented from shooting at our troops assaulting Normandy. Looking down in the English Channel, Stovroff observed the multitude of ships down below. His bomber flew two missions that day bombing positions behind the German front lines. The mission was to disrupt their lines of communication. There were P-51s [Annotator's Note: North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft] to provide support so there was little problem dropping the bombs. It was exciting to be part of that day in history. Sitting in the nose of the plane with his bomb sight, he had the best view of all. In observing the view in the Channel, Stovroff had no doubt that the Allies would win the war. He knew that he would return back home afterward. Most of his crewmates were very optimistic. In flying to Berlin twice, he could really see the impact of what he and the bombers were doing. The sky was black with 88mm [Annotator's Note: German 88mm antiaircraft artillery] bursts. The escorting fighters flew away when they observed the heavy flak. When they opened the bomb bay doors, the drag on the bomber slowed the speed to 180 miles per hour. Much less than aircraft fly today. To get through the heavy flak was an incredible feat. Stovroff enjoyed bombing the main part of Germany, the capital, Berlin. He managed to do so twice. One of the most memorable events occurred in a raid on Peenemunde [Annotator's Note: Peenemunde, Germany was the location where German scientists developed both the V-1 and V-2 "Vengeance" weapons] and its buzz bomb facilities. The buzz bomb was a terror weapon mainly used by the Germans against civilian populations. On the raid, three or four German jets wiped out 15 bombers with 150 men in seconds. The whole squadron was wiped out. Stovroff was shocked. He was not going to fly again and made the decision to inform his superiors that he was finished with flying. As a result of the experience, the airmen were given three or four days leave to go to London to relax. After the time off, Stovroff returned and put his flight gear back on and continued flying. Nevertheless, he would never forget the terror of sitting in the front of the bomber and seeing those 15 airplanes destroyed by the German fighters that flew in without propellers. It was incredible. He could not believe what had happened.

Irwin Stovroff flew his last mission on 13 August [Annotator's Note: 13 August 1944]. He felt great that it was to be his last mission. It was to be a milk run [Annotator's Note: an easy or uneventful mission] over northern Normandy near Caen. Three bridges were the target. The intention was to destroy the means for the Germans to escape the area. After reaching the PT point [Annotator's Note: the IP, or Initial Point was the location at which the bombers would begin their bomb run], the bomber headed into the target locations. In approaching the first bridge, Stovroff leaned over his bomb sight just as the airplane was hit. He could not believe they were hit. The crewmen all knew they were in trouble. Two engines were on fire and gone. He prepared himself for the inevitable. The crewmen were assigned chest parachutes that were snapped on only in case of immediate need. It was necessary to orient the chute properly for correct deployment. [Annotator's Note: A brief interruption occurs with an incoming telephone call.] The number one and number two engines were on fire, the hydraulic systems were failing and the plane was descending. The chest chute was not normally worn but kept close by for quick access in times of immediate need. The proper orientation was important because if snapped on incorrectly, it could deploy improperly and break a man's neck. Stovroff used his .45 [Annotator's Note: M1911 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol] to shoot the bomb sight and exited the nose wheel area with the navigator. The bombs were toggled out through the bomb bay doors because the pins were pulled and they could blow up. After jumping, he counted to ten and a pilot chute opened. He was concerned with having only a small chute until the larger one finally deployed. The airmen were shot at as they descended. He swung his chute to change directions so as not to land in the sea. He did not know if he could exit his chute before he would drown in the sea. Stovroff then became concerned that he would rock the chute too much and flip over. The sea breezes pushed him back onto the land. He realized he was dropping fast. He hit a fence and landed. The first action he took was to throw away his dog tags. The American personnel were issued dog tags that indicated their preferred religion. His had "H" which indicated Hebrew or Jewish. That represented a terrible risk with the Nazi attitude toward Jews. If the tags had shown "C" for Catholic or "P" for Protestant, it would not have been as dangerous. Within minutes of landing, he was surrounded by German troops. It was a different outcome for a man who was formerly confident of completing his 35th mission and returning home to sell war bonds in his Eisenhower jacket. [Annotator's Note: Then US Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower popularized a short waist coat uniform jacket that was called the Eisenhower jacket.] He had thought it would be a happy life at that point, but instead he was now a captive of the Germans. [Annotator's Note: Stovroff chuckles at the irony of his former optimism concerning surviving the war unscathed.] The enemy troops rounded up Stovroff and a few more men and marched them into a grave yard. There were open graves with bodies in them. It worried Stovroff but it was the front lines and the dead were buried there. A German officer told his captives that they would not be shot. They were prisoners of war and would not be killed. The prisoners were taken near the city of Caan. They could not move them further because American fighter pilots were shooting up everything. Stovroff and his friend Billy decided to try to escape [Annotator's Note: the copilot's last name was Manyere, the spelling of which has not been confirmed]. They took a walk but were apprehended. The Germans told them that if they tried it again, they would be shot. The Americans did not try to escape again. From Caan, they were taken to Paris for a few days. They were next moved to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Wiesloch where there was an interrogation center. Word about Hitler's [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] programs had leaked out in the 1930s so Stovroff's first impulse after landing was to get rid of his dog tags. Hitler blamed the Jews for the woes of Germany. His views were acceptable to many but not all in Germany. Most that associated with Hitler were low end thugs. Those people had nothing to lose by killing someone in uniform. Stovroff had not experienced any anti-Semitism while in the United States military.

Irwin Stovroff experienced interrogation by the Germans after his capture. The enemy thought the American airman knew quite a bit about the details of the war. This was despite the flyers only having limited and basically personal knowledge of what they were experiencing in the war. All the airmen knew was that they would wake up in the morning to a good breakfast followed by a briefing where the men would all moan about their assigned target. They would get to their planes and attempt to take-off and avoid collision with other planes in the heavy weather that always seemed to surround England. After takeoff, waist gunners would fire a flare out the side of the bomber to let the next plane taking off know where his predecessor was located. There were hardly ever blue skies over England. There were always clouds. Göring [Annotator's Note: German Reichsmarschall Hermann Wilhelm Göring was head of the German Air Force and second in command to dictator Adolf Hitler] had special interrogation centers built to learn from the downed airmen. The captured airmen were secluded and noises were made to psych the captives. There was a young Nazi officer who questioned Stovroff. When he only gave name, rank and serial number, the officer grew angry. A few interviews later, the enemy officer not only disclosed detailed personal information to Stovroff about his past, but he also told him that he knew what he was. By that, Stovroff knew that the German officer knew he was Jewish. The Nazi officer told Stovroff that his family had lived on the next street over from the American's street in his hometown. He even made the point of saying that Stovroff had delivered newspapers to the German family. It was unbelievable. The interrogator acted like he was a friend of Stovroff when he placed a question mark next to his captive's religion. A few days later, Stovroff was placed in a boxcar and transported across Germany. During this series of days, Stovroff lost some of his optimism. He had been hit, bailed out, landed in enemy territory, captured and identified as a Jew. It was traumatic. He was young enough to go with the flow. While he was being transported in the boxcar, he would end up in a marshaling yard at night. Night was when the British were bombing the rail lines. The Germans did not comply with the Geneva Convention requirement of labeling the boxcars as POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war] to indicate prisoners were onboard. Somehow, Stovroff survived the experiences.

Irwin Stovroff marched into his POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war] camp, Stalag Luft I, and was greeted by prisoners already there. Jokes were made as the new arrivals were welcomed. The Germans assigned the new POWs to barracks. There was harassment by the guards. The Stalag Luft I POWs were told to be in their barracks whenever allied planes came over or they would be shot. Two men were actually shot when they did not comply. The food given to the prisoners was lousy. Red Cross packages were life savers but toward the end, the packages were kept by the Germans for themselves. They needed the food. In early 1945, Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] dictated that all Jews, no matter where they were located, should be killed. That included any Jewish Allied prisoners. A roll call resulted in separation of the men of Jewish descent from their fellow POWs. Colonel Zemke objected saying that the men were American officers. [Annotator's Note: US Army Air Forces Colonel Hubert "Hub" Zemke was a fighter pilot who shot down over 17 enemy aircraft. After his aircraft malfunctioned and he was captured, he was named the senior Allied officer at Stalag Luft I near Barth, Germany.] Zemke told the commanding officer that the Germans were breaking the Geneva Convention, and that they would be tried after the war as war criminals. He and Spicer were incredible. [Annotator's Note: Then US Army Air Forces Colonel Henry Russell Spicer gave a speech to his fellow POWs that angered the German officers so that he was accused of inciting a riot. Condemned to death by the enemy, he was within one day of execution by the Germans when the Russians liberated Stalag Luft I.] Spicer told the captured airmen not to salute any German officer below their rank. That show of military respect was not required of them despite what the Germans were saying. That was why the Germans got him, for creating a riot. After Stovroff was captured in Normandy, he was transported to Paris and then into Germany. He was in a rail car in a marshaling yard in Berlin for a night before going to the enemy interrogation center. Luckily, the British did not bomb that night or he may have been killed. The bombing was intended to destroy the lines of communication within the Reich. No indication had been painted on the rail car that POWs were transported within. The lack of identification may have been intentionally done. In the camp, there were important people there and men that had stories to tell. Some people had been in contact with their fellow prisoners before. There were thousands there who had been caught. When the Russians were coming, Zemke had told the Russian commandant [Annotator's Note: German commandant] that he should leave and take his men with him. The next morning the guards were all gone so the POWs never had a chance to say goodbye. The Russians arrived and liberated the camp. The Russians would go to the surrounding towns like Barth and tell the people to surrender. If the civilians did not comply, the Cossacks would be sent in and destroy the village or town. The Americans were told by their liberators to leave the camp. Since some Russians and Americans could speak Hebrew, they were able to communicate. Some men began to leave the camps. Zemke warned the POWs not to leave because the Russians were wild and would potentially kill the Americans not realizing who they were. Some men still left but Stovroff felt he was safer in camp, not in northern Germany with the Russians heading to Berlin. The Russians decided to take the POWs to Odessa on the Black Sea. Some men were taken into Russia and eventually disappeared. The Russians respected Colonel Zemke because he had helped train Soviet pilots in American lend lease aircraft. Arrangements were made eventually for American bombers to fly out in B-17s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers] that were stripped down. Twenty men would jump into a bomber after it landed and taxied slowly. They would be dropped off and then the bomber would circle around for another load of POWs. Stovroff ended up in Camp Lucky Strike in France. The B-17 pilot flew low over Germany so his passengers could see the damage done to Germany by their bombers. The freed POWs appreciated that. While at Camp Lucky Strike, the men were treated and fed well. It was good to get away from the harshness of being a captive of the Germans. The Germans had killed so many millions that when the Russians entered their country, they knew that they were going to get punished.

Irwin Stovroff reminds people that freedom is not free. The volunteers in the military who serve today often have to rotate several tours in war zones. Stovroff works with veterans to help them with their stress. His experience as a prisoner of war helps him understand their troubles and potentially aid them in healing. In retrospect, his life in the POW [Annotator's Note: prisoner of war] camp was boring. There was a lot of reading. There was no challenge about it. The captured men knew that the Allies would win the war. The only question was how long it would take to win and how crazy things could possibly get. He would rise in the morning and have a cigarette, if it was available. The men had originally pooled their food and a community breakfast would be prepared. That was before a fire destroyed the food reserves so the mess hall approach was aborted and every barracks began to cook its own food. There was not a lot to eat. Even horse meat was short. The Red Cross boxes would contain cigarettes or candy. They were supposed to arrive once a month but that only happened in the beginning. Things got bad in Germany so they used the food themselves. At the end, the men lost weight while boxes were piled up in a warehouse. There was reading and gardening. There was a radio and a newspaper. There was a violin shown in the POW area of New Orleans. The sight of the violin brought back strong memories for Stovroff. It had came right out of his camp, Stalag Luft I. [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans created a special exhibit titled "Guests of the Third Reich: American POWs in Europe" which displayed the violin crafted by Claire Cline in 1944 while in Stalag Luft I. In viewing the exhibit, Stovroff felt emotional seeing it for the first time since the war. Cline and his violin are remembered by Stovroff in the journal he kept in Stalag Luft I, also a donation to the MuseumIs collection.] The Germans did not make their prisoners flee their camp so items such as the violin were not lost. The toughest part of being a prisoner was realizing that he was in Germany and being segregated. It became questionable if he would return home. Nothing ever happened as a result. They were left alone. It was just the unknown. Zemke [Annotator's Note: US Army Air Forces Colonel Hubert "Hub" Zemke] warned the Germans not to harm the Jewish POWs. Nevertheless, for that period of time there was a life of uncertainty. There was interaction with guards but only if you wanted it. Some trading occurred between guards and POWs. Spicer [Annotator's Note: Then US Army Air Forces Colonel Henry Russell Spicer] accused those men of offering help to the enemy. He reminded them of what the Germans had perpetrated in the Battle of the Bulge. They had committed inhuman acts like shooting British prisoners during that time. Stovroff lived with very brave and special officers. They were incredible men. His survival was meant to be. He came home in one piece and his mission today is his reward. It is more meaningful than any medal that he could have received. World War 2 and being a POW certainly did change his life.

Irwin Stovroff feels that The National WWII Museum is a creation that could only have happened after a war like the one in which he participated. The Museum is similar to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. in the sheer numbers of diverse people who visit. Visitors who are in the general area of New Orleans make the journey specifically to see The National WWII Museum. It was an honor for Stovroff to be invited to participate in the special event on the campus. [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans created a special exhibit titled "Guests of the Third Reich: American POWs in Europe." The opening of the exhibit included formed prisoners of war who had been captured by the Germans in the Second World War. In viewing the exhibit, Stovroff felt emotional seeing reminders of his experience. Stovroff kept a journal in Stalag Luft I that he donated to the Museum's collection.] He encouraged the Museum to invite him to speak to others about his experiences. He works with World War 2 planes today and people request that he tell them his story. He has addressed crowds as large as 900 school children. After he was liberated, he was in Camp Lucky Strike prior to returning home. He could not do anything at that point until he went AWOL [Annotator's Note: absent without leave] to Paris. He and his copilot, Billy [Annotator's Note: Billy's last name was Manyere, the spelling of which has not been confirmed], were picked up by someone who brought them to Paris and took care of them. The freed airmen really felt free until an MP [Annotator's Note: military police] picked them up and apologized for having to take them back to camp. For Stovroff, going AWOL was the first real taste of freedom. [Annotator's Note: Stovroff chuckles at the memory.] Stovroff did not lose weight in captivity until the Red Cross boxes were kept from the POWs late in the war. He lost about 25 to 30 pounds by the end of the war as a result of them being starved. An image was taken after Stovroff's plane was hit. The purpose was to count the number of chutes that exited the plane. The picture was sent to his mother during the war. She did not truly understand it. Stovroff came to understand what his parents had to go through with him being a POW. A friend has written about the feelings that must felt. She wrote that his mother must have looked at his father as she questioned him about which son was missing. She had a son in the Army Air Forces and one on a submarine caught in the Yellow Sea. The submariner did return eventually. Until then, Stovroff never considered the strain on his parents. After Stovroff went missing in action, it was months before his parents knew anything about his status. The mother of his copilot, Billy Manyere, heard that her son from, Lake Forest, Illinois, was a POW in Germany. She called Stovroff's mother to tell her that the boys were likely together and all right. Billy's brother, Si Manyere, was a graduate of West Point. He became part of the OSS [Annotator's Note: Office of Strategig Services, was the pre-runner of the CIA] led by Donovan [Annotator's Note: US Army Major General William J. Donovan]. He was dropped into France and became a leader with the Marquis [Annotator's Note: the French Resistance]. He was caught after several months with the resistance. He told the Germans that he was an American flyer who was being aided by the resistance. He ended up in Wiesloch with Stovroff after his capture. Everyone was dirty and filthy. Billy referred to Stovroff by his nickname, Russian [Annotator's Note: because of Stovroff’s ancestry]. Stovroff asked Billy not to call him that since they were in German captivity. Billy said that the man across the way was staring at Stovroff. It took time, but the men finally recognized Billy's brother, Si. The Germans had a propaganda moment in showing the two brothers together and displaying how well they treated their prisoners. Si told the two that no one should know who he really was. If the enemy found out his real identity, he would be a dead man. Si became adjutant to Major Gabreski [Annotator's Note:US Army Air Forces Major Francis Stanley Gabreski]. Si found out that the Germans were coming to get Stovroff and told his brother Billy to inform his friend. During the war, Billy's mother had gotten two telegrams concerning her sons. She received one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Stovroff was so close to his friend Billy that he accompanied him home to help with his mother's transition in seeing her son after so long. Stovroff angered his parents because he changed his return home address to be the same as Billy's. Stovroff's parents were angered because their son did not return home immediately. The two airmen were so close that Stovroff would become Best Man at Billy's wedding. Stovroff feels comfort in that positive feeling plus being able to reflect on things that happened 70 years ago.

Irwin Stovroff and about 200 or so Jewish POWs [Annotator's Note: prisoners of war] had been separated by their German guards from the other Allied captives in Stalag Luft I. Those who had been segregated were in different barracks. They were apprehensive of the next move the Germans would make. [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler had ordered all Jews to be killed in German occupied lands no matter if they were civilian or military]. In today's world, Stovroff works with former POWs. One is Lieutenant Colonel Mel Pollack who flew 78 missions in Vietnam and was shot down. As a captive of the North Vietnamese for nearly five years, Colonel Pollack had a cell next to John McCain. They communicated with each other by tapping out messages against the shared wall. Polack had decided to fly because his uncle was a good pilot who encouraged him to fly. That was why he joined the Air force. His uncle had flown B-17s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber] and was shot down and captured. He was interned in Stalag Luft I, as was Stovroff. He had also been segregated because he was a Jew. His name was Hap Goldfon [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling] and, coincidentally, had the bunk above Stovroff. It was a small world. The POWs were on edge because they could not anticipate what the Germans would do. They only knew something bad was going to happen. Fortunately, the Russians made their move and liberated the camp. Stovroff feels lucky and will do anything to promote the recovery of POWs and prevent a new world catastrophe. His generation truly saved the world. They clearly won the war. Stovroff returned to the United States while the war in the Pacific still raged. He was back and the service did not know what to do with the freed prisoners. There were 120,000 to 135,000 POWs from the Second World War. Today there are less than 20,000 left. Many of the POWs were Army Air Forces personnel. The men had returned to Kelly Field and just sat there. Post Traumatic Stress is shell shock. That was not well recognized after World War 2. The men with physical injuries can overcome them. It was the men with the PTSD that had a hard time recovering. The fighting man today suffers from the lack of finality of his service. He returns to combat for multiple tours unlike the airmen of World War 2. In the case of the latter situation, airmen were bolstered by the fact that after 35 missions, they would return home. Additionally, the uncertainty concerning the identity of today's enemy is terrible. A man who is being trained today may turn on his trainer and be a killer. The stress of multiple tours is often too much for some men. The POWs returning home from captivity after World War 2 were allowed a month or so to adjust and contemplate their future moves. They had a good time sitting around doing nothing, but it got to the point where they wanted to go home and restart their lives. The men were transferred to a base in Greensboro, North Carolina. They were dismissed from that camp. In later years, Stovroff would return to the camp to work there. The camp had been a manufacturing factory and, in later years, Stovroff met the people who had owned it. Stovroff left the service as a first lieutenant at the end of 1945. He initially went into the Reserves but left in order to enter college. He was educated using the G.I. Bill. The Bill gave the veterans a real advantage and gave the country the ability to succeed. Stovroff began a family and the rest of his life. The time period was the most adhesive time in this country. The leadership was strong. President Truman [Annotator's Note: Harry S. Truman] saved countless lives with the decision he made to use the atomic bombs. He was a strong leader despite his shaky start. The United States will come back as a strong world leader because life here is superior to that available anywhere else. While in Stalag Luft I, Stovroff did not receive much mail. The first parcel of mail turned out to be books, not the food items he was hoping it would contain. It had "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and Stovroff cried as a result. There are items that Stovroff desires to contribute to The National WWII Museum. [Annotator's Note: Stovroff donated a journal to The National WWII Museum that he maintained while being a POW at Stalag Luft I.]