Category: World War II
A Japanese Teenager’s Journey to the US
As a Japanese teenager, Barbara was taught to defend herself from American soldiers arriving in her country. She ended up marrying one of them. But…
Living In Japan When World War II Ended
This week we are featuring Barbara Law who recently passed away. She was a teenager living in Japan when World War II ended. Her country’s…
A Look Back At The Story of Barbara Law
This past week Barbara Law of King City, Missouri passed away at the age of 87. I had the honor of knowing her and even…
Escapees With Nowhere to Go
At first glance, housing enemy soldiers in low security camps in the Midwest may not have seemed wise. But for those who decided to escape,…
Prisoners of War in the Midwest
During World War II thousands of enemy soldiers taken as prisoners of war where housed in hastily built camps in the Midwest. Most were peaceful,…
A Place Surprising To Both Sides
When the Allies began the fight against Germany in World War II, they began to take prisoners of war. Some of those enemy soldiers would…
More With Holocaust Survivor Judy Straus
We conclude our story with Holocaust survivor Judy Straus. If you’ve missed any of her story of tragedy and triumph, be sure to go to…
Lives In Jeopardy
As the end of World War II in Europe drew ever closer, the Germans stepped up the pace of sending Jewish families to death camps. …
Nazi Death Camps Through the Eyes of a Child
The scenes from Nazi death camps were staggering. Now imagine experiencing those horros through the eyes of a child. That was the case for Judy…
The Nazis Invade Home
The Straus family left Germany in the 1930s to escape the rising power of Adolf Hitler. Then, in the early 1940s, the Nazis invaded the…
Holocaust Survivor Judy Straus
This week we visit with Judy Straus, a survivor of the Holocaust Her story is one of tragedy and hope…and a story I hope you’ll…
The 70th Anniversary of Victory in Europe
Melvin Alper fought an entire year in Europe during WW II, but it was the last two months of the war that produced two stops…
Trained to Face the Enemy
Melvin Alper had trained to face the enemy, but nothing could have prepared him for the scene he would face in southern Germany in 1945….
A Jewish Family’s Challenges in Nazi Germany
We resume our moving conversation today with Henry Straus as he share his family’s challenges living as Jews in a country where the Nazis were…
Growing Up Jewish in Germany
From his earliest memories, Henry Straus remembers discrimination. As a young Jewish boy living in a German city, his family faced laws that stripped them…
The 70th Anniversary of a Special Nativity Scene
This year in Algona, IA, residents will celebrate the 70th anniversary of a very special Nativity scene. It was a gift from prisoners far from…
A Nativity Scene On Display Year-Round
During the advent season, many families and churches will set up Nativity scenes. They figures remind us of the birth of Jesus. But here, the…
Escaping a POW Camp in the Midwest
If a soldier is taken as a prisoner of war, they may try to escape to freedom. That was the case for the Germans living…
Enemy Soldiers Working the Fields of Home
Imagine the pain of losing a son or daughter who was fighting in a war. Now imagine hiring one of the enemy soldiers to work…
A Shortage of Labor at Home During World War II
When young men went to fight in Europe and the Pacific during World War II, many communities were left with a shortage of labor. To…
