"Shadows of Slaughterhouse Five"

[Larry Heider]

Here is an excellent history written by the son of a 106th soldier, Ervin E. Szpek Jr. His father, Pfc Ervin E. Szpek (423/I), and 149 other POWs were sent to Dresden, Germany, where they were quartered at Slaughterhouse Five. The book is comprised of detailed histories gathered from interviews, old letters, Army records and memoirs. Reading this book will put you right in the thick of things before, during and after the firebombing of Dresden. Thanks to the incredibly detailed research (including photographs) done by co-authors Ervin E. Szpect, Jr. and Frank J. Idzikowski, you can follow the lives of the inmates of Slaughterhouse Five, including Kurt Vonnegut Jr., from basic training to Belgium and the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge, to the hellish nightmare of Dresden and back home again in very personal and intimate level. And once you get to know them and what they endured you will not be able to forget what being a POW in WW II Germany really meant.
Available at Amazon.com in Softcover and Kindle versions.

[Carl W.]

Thanks Larry

This is a book I have been wanting to add to my library for a long time. I have ordered my copy online and am waiting for the mailman to bring me this interesting story.

Through google.books you are able to read some of the pages. A book to recommend!

books.google.com/books/about/Shadows_of_Slaughterhouse_Five.html?id=nkLvXopZLRwC


Note from Connie: The Google Book link was no longer working so I updated it.

[connie]

Yesterday a site member mentioned that her grandfather Matthew K Rozen 423 I was mentioned in this book: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=looking&action=display&thread=468

[connie]

A thread on George w. Strong Pvt. 423 INF/ HQ now has a link to his mention in this book: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/4231/thread

4-12-21 a thread on Balzarini, John 590-B includes notes on his mention in Slaughterhouse 5 and a link to his interview for the Veterans History Project: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/4826/thread

[connie]

Google Link to Book: books.google.com/books/about/Shadows_of_Slaughterhouse_Five.html?id=nkLvXopZLRwC

"Shadows of Slaughterhouse Five chronicles the story of 150 American POWs captured in the Battle of the Bulge and eventually caught up in one of the greatest tragedies of World War II---the firebombing of Dresden. This collection includes oral histories, previously unpublished memoirs, and letters from home and from the front that together tell their compelling story in their own words. From simple hometown beginnings through the awakenings of military life in basic training, from assignment on the supposed "quiet zone" in Belgium to the unexpected Battle of the Bulge, from forced march and entrainment to eventual assignment on work details in Dresden --- the "Florence of the Elbe," to the inferno of Dresden on February 13-14, 1945, and the gruesome work details to follow, the individual and collective recollections and reflections of these 150 young men, the men housed in the famed Slaughterhouse Five, reveal a very personal side of war and the struggle for survival. Yet repatriation did not bring closure to this chapter of their young lives for like shadows their memories would forever be part of them."


About the author (2008)
"Ervin E. Szpek, Jr., Chair of Survivors of Stalag IV-B Chicago Chapter, Frank J. Idzikowski, Senior Adjudicator, Veteran's Administration (Seattle) and Military Historian, Heidi M. Szpek, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Central Washington University, are the children and son-in-law of Former Slaughterhouse POW Ervin Szpek, Sr."



Amazon Link www.amazon.com/Shadows-Slaughterhouse-Five-Recollections-Reflections/dp/1440105677
Also offers chance to view pages in the book
Paperback copies are currently selling here in the $40-$50 range.

[connie]

A huge thank you to J.R. Wentz for mentioning that he had come across two lists of the POW's held at Slaughter House Five when doing a search on the Indiana Military Site. Here is the second one there-- supplied by one of the authors of this book: (apologies that my copy and paste did not maintain the column spacing for unit, Serial #, Date of Birth, and Date of Death)

This list supplied by ERVIN SZPEK Jr.

NAME UNIT SERIAL # DOB DOD
Abell, Albert E 423/Cannon 34 515 320 Pfc 5/4/18 3/1/96
Allen, Robert G 422/A 37 691 978 3/9/16 1/4/08
Arnold, Clifford ◄ 423/I 34 895 681 Pfc 1/12/14 8/1/68
Ballowe, Thomas W 423/K 37 730 201 Pfc 11/11/25 7/24/05
Balzarini, John 590th FA/B 36 770 573 7/3/25
Barry, David M ◄ 423/I 36 689 930 Pvt* 8/20/15 3/1/94
Belanger, Willis R 28thID/110th 12/10/16 5/30/87
Benavides, Jesse M ◄ 422/M 18 089 655 Pvt 5/9/45
Benschneider, Arnold 423/I 35 294 470 Pfc 7/1/25 10/9/92
Bernard, Paul L Jr ◄ 590th FA 31 366 084 1/12/25 2/22/95
Biscoe, Charles M 28thID/110th 11/23/24 11/28/99
Bloomingburg, George L 423/I 35 725 976 Pfc 3/12/23 2/9/01
Boone, Herbert 423/B 35 811 988 Pvt 10/14/25 8/19/97
Bowman, Lawrence H ◄ 423/I 33 845 151 Pvt 3/1/11 10/25/72
Brown, Ellsworth E ◄ 423/I 36 677 526 Pfc 10/5/10 11/12/90
Bryd, Lloyd E Jr 422/HQ 1st Bt 31 391 846 31391846 9/5/25 4/1/07
Burns, William R 423/Service Co 32 748 828 Pvt 10/23/23 1/7/94
Burnside, Julian B ◄ 423/M 34 545 394 Pfc 1/8/24 4/8/05
Clark, Utah C 28thID/110th/HQ 8/16/16 1/15/99
Cooper, Ashley D M ◄ 423/F 34 926 042 Pfc 10/14/25 5/30/46
Coyle, Richard A 423/F 15 121 904 Pvt 10/8/25 6/22/99
Craig, Cecil L ◄ 423/G 37 533 201 Pfc 11/30/24 9/0/11
Crone, Edward R, Jr 423/HQ 2nd Bn 12 216 546 Pvt 10/26/23 4/11/45
Crossen, William J. 18th Cav 9/13/23 2/2/89
Crummy, James E ◄ 423/HQ 33 230 296 Pvt 5/11/14 1/30/96
Cunningham, George A 423/K 38 591 220 Pvt 7/17/14 4/10/92
Curto, Louis V ◄ 28thID/110th 12/17/16 4/20/85
Davis, Richard E ◄ 423/HQ 2nd Bn 35 749 210 Pfc 10/16/21 10/29/95
Deck, Robert B 423/C 33 563 091 Pfc 7/10/24 2/11/98
Diller, Max R 423/I 37 737 930 Pfc 8/24/15 2/17/07
Dockery, James W ◄ 590th FA 36 776 250 7/9/07 4/25/88
Donnini, James M 423/HQ 2nd Bn 13 122 671 Pfc 7/24/24
Doxsee, Gifford B 423/HQ 3rd Bn 12 199 995 Pfc 7/4/24
Dunay, Stephen P 6/25/21 4/4/87
Elliot, William ◄ 423/Cannon 34 762 376 Pfc 1/12/24 4/11/66
Emerson, Ezra E ◄ 423/A 32 091 857 Pvt 10/16/16 9/7/88
Engle, Phillip ◄ 28thID/110th 9/30/26 8/13/70
Erbes, Richard 423/HQ 36 753 983 Pfc 8/9/24 4/26/99
Evans, Jack D 590th Arty Batt 33 553 730
Finnegan, Paul J ◄ 423/G 33 160 268 Pfc 8/30/17 8/12/71
Flanagan, Edward J 590th FA/HQ 31 301 992 1/23/23 1/2/02
Flores, Salvador A ◄ 28thID/110th 1/31/23 10/21/91
Forbush, Gordon H ◄ 422nd 39 926 988 2/23/23 12/21/06
Fox, Duane J 423/B 32 948 997 Pvt 9/5/25 7/24/01
Freed, John G ◄ 422nd 19 113 250 * 0/0/23
Frinsko, Michael ◄ 28thID/110th 11/11/07 1/13/69
Frye, Norwood 81st Eng(C)/B T/5 3/15/24 5/16/08
Galloway, Walter T ◄ 423/K 34 834 183 Pfc 12/10/25 12/30/67
Garr, Lee Bow ◄ 423/C 32 654 611 Pvt
Gibbs, Daniel P ◄ 9/25/23 2/10/04
Giles, Samuel W 423/K 33 710 817 Pvt 9/27/25 5/22/97
Goetz, Donald F 423/C 37 691 952 Pfc 3/2/25 11/1/88
Gramling, Gerard F 0/0/25
Graves, Lawrence J ◄ 423/D 32 587 957 Pfc 5/8/21 10/10/89
Grivetti, Louis G 423/K 33 714 626 Pvt 10/24/25 1/20/09
Hajdas, Joseph E 168th Engineers 3/30/25 11/19/95
Hall, Henry E 423/HQ 2nd Bn 34 770 862 Pfc 8/18/24 8/2/04
Hardesty, Gilbert F ◄ 423/HQ 2nd Bn 35 631 097 Pfc 10/20/24 11/2/69
Harding, Floyd 423/B 11 129 312 Pfc 0/0/24
Hayduk, Thomas R ◄ 423/K 42 040 348 Pfc 5/14/25 4/0/81
Heavener, James L 423/M 32 948 127 Pvt 8/29/09 4/23/01
Heimbeck, Edward B ◄ 423/HQ 2nd Bn 36 481 860 Pvt 10/13/24 4/13/71
Henderson, Augustus A ◄ 423/B 11 024 833 Pvt 11/29/20 10/11/97
Hendricks, Ronald A 423/E 20 729 469 5/26/21 9/7/95
Hilliard, Marion E 422/C 38 565 874
Hoffard, Vincent H 422/? 36 728 135 9/20/22 10/18/78
Hollingsworth, Ernest B 423/F 34 985 017 Pvt 7/19/85
Hroch, Albert ◄ 590th Arty Batt 36 621 299 3/1/12 2/19/02
Humphries, Eldred D ◄ 590th Arty Batt 14 176 166 11/25/22 10/12/07
Ingle, Earnest M 423/G 34 877 099 Pvt 0/0/25 5/17/61
Johnston, George, Jr ◄ 422nd 7/24/17 1/26/90
Johnston, Nelson ◄ 423/A 36 900 676 Pfc 2/27/08 10/14/72
Jones, Thomas A, Jr 423/HQ 2nd Bn 34 688 604 Pfc 2/9/24 5/5/98
Kelton, Robert T 423/HQ 2nd Bn 16 121 054 Pfc 10/3/23 11/8/09
Kimpel, Clair E 423/F 35 297 429 Pvt 9/28/25 4/7/95
Kingston, Harry E J ◄ 423/E 33 469 422 Pfc 4/20/20 3/27/91
Kmush, Stephen E 422/C 10/12/25 1/13/02
Knoll, Robert A 423/I 31 459 415 Pfc 10/18/20 2/2/84
Kobylas, Chester W 422/M 36 588 312 3/5/24 9/23/08
Kruse, Richard L ◄ 423/HQ 2nd Bn 35 055 855 Pvt 5/21/24 3/1/84
Lamb, Gerald L 423/I 15 127 775 Pfc 10/22/25
Lawson, Charles W, Jr ◄ 423/F 31 428 325 Pfc 6/5/74
Larson, Lewis A ◄ 590th FA 39 178 980 3/3/18 2/10/70
Lawson, Douglas W ◄ 423/Service Co 33 647 279 Pvt 0/0/24
LeClair, Henry ◄ 422/? 31 429 423 11/22/25 10/10/81
Lehr, Robert M ◄ 12/8/62
Lemonis, Pete S 422/M 34 917 994 9/9/17 2/9/08
Liebowitz, Nathan M ◄ 28thID/110th 10/10/10? 5/?/70
Lorenz, Lawrence R 423/HQ 3rd Bn 36 567 400 Pfc 8/24/24
Makowske, Raymond T 423/K 33 850 337 Pfc 6/24/25 6/10/03
Malnati, Giacomo ◄ 423/C 31 459 316 Pfc 12/15/10 7/13/87
Maloney, Edward S 422/A 34 845 526 12/3/24 1/30/01
Mathis, Clarence ◄ 423/? 34 975 238 5/21/16 8/13/77
McEwen, Bruce B ◄ 423/B 39 472 656 Pvt 0/0/10 3/5/60
McLea, Floyd T 423/L 32 374 433 Pfc 2/17/14 5/26/88
Mills, James M 423/I 37 685 038 Pfc 11/25/25
Minc, Joseph F ◄ 423/I 35 246 600 Pfc 7/26/25 2/16/83
Moore, Cleo J ◄ 422/K 37 674 890 Pvt 5/30/15 10/14/96
Moore, Harroun F 423/A 38 682 960 Pfc 12/19/22 6/9/06
Moran, James F ◄ 423/F 33 805 789 Pvt 10/7/25 8/14/79
Moxim, Steve J 1/12/17 10/3/71
Mullin, James F ◄ 423/A 42 102 603 Pfc 9/7/25 9/28/85
Neff, Charles ◄ 82nd AB/507 9/18/23 12/10/74
Nicholas, Santo ◄ 423/F 32 508 919 Pfc 8/22/21 5/28/02
Nicholson, Roy E ◄ 422/M 69 182 51 Pfc 8/22/23 2/20/98
Niklas, Carl F ◄ 423/I 38 692 662 Pvt 3/17/16 10/11/91
O'Hare, Bernard V, Jr 423/HQ 2nd Bn 13 146 070 Pfc 4/26/23 6/8/90
Oksendal, Norval N 423/E 37 588 093 Pfc 0/0/17 12/19/65
Palaia, Michael D 423/I 33 802 017 Pfc 5/7/25 3/11/45
Palmer, James ◄ 95th ID/377th 12/16/16 6/26/87
Parks, Fred D 423/K 36 462 790 Pfc 0/0/19
Patrick, Elmer 423/HQ 3rd Bn 15 041 177 Pvt 8/25/20 10/8/95
Pena, Manuel ◄ 422/K 31 459 321 Pfc 2/23/17 8/21/75
Pulkkinen, Henry ◄ 590th FA 35 025 020 3/3/16 11/22/79
Ratliff, Richard E 423/Cannon 35 221 968 Pfc* 0/0/21
Rickard, Richard M 423/I 33 901 692 Pvt 0/0/25 5/10/45
Riedl, Walter W 422/K 36 957 722 Pfc 8/25/23
Riley, Rufus T ◄ 423/I 34 966 673 Pvt 3/13/14 1/30/78
Rios, Ernest H ◄ 423/C 38 559 074 Pfc 9/21/25 5/1/08
Ross, Alexander S ◄ 28thID/110th 36 957 722 Pfc 5/14/25 4/19/95
Sauer, Maurice M, Jr 590th FA/HQ 36 810 956 * 5/23/23 1/15/02
Schack, William F ◄ Army Air Corp 37 735 770 * 5/31/20 4/6/84
Schulte, Lloyd H 422/? 37 735 770 6/21/07 6/3/69
Schultz, Victor F ◄ 423/H 32 753 467 Pfc 12/8/23 8/5/55
Sellers, Bayne F 422/? 31 216 943 5/19/22 2/24/77
Shook, George H ◄ 423/Service Co 31 039 865 Pfc 11/17/17 2/5/73
Slattery, Robert J ◄ 589th FA/HQ 36 456 674 Pfc 3/23/13 6/26/99
Slavin, William R 423/I 16 175 264 Pvt 10/3/25
Smith, Harold E ◄ 423/Service Co 36 829 273 Pfc 11/11/11 10/19/81
Smith, Jerome P ◄ 423/HQ 2nd Bn 33 574 789 Pfc 9/23/24 5/29/85
Stachowiak, Henry F ◄ 423/? 2/16/12 9/22/89
Stewart, Walter O ◄ 423/B 36 106 937 Pvt 12/16/16 5/15/78
Strole, Robert L ◄ 423/M 36 648 631 Pfc 10/22/25 7/4/98
Strong, George W 423/HQ 39 215 070 Pvt 12/30/18
Stumpf, Clifford L 422/C 37 051 340 10/12/18 10/20/02
Suttles, John H 423/K 14 181 428 Pfc 12/27/25 10/27/81
Sweeney, Edgar J ◄ 6/14/67
Szpek, Ervin E 423/I 36 836 922 Pfc 8/17/25
Tatman, Carl J 422/AntiTank 36 801 139 6/0/22
Thayer, William ◄ 10/8/20 10/0/83
Thomas, Clyde J 422/M 37 051 712 6/15/13 6/20/08
Topicz, Joseph 423/E 35 882 976 Pvt 9/9/13 11/19/94
Tortorici, Frank J 422/B 31 358 237 5/30/23 2/29/00
Troxel, Wayman D 423/I 35 898 975 Pfc 9/24/25 10/2/07
Trull, Leonard R ◄ 423/A 31 431 698 Pfc 11/20/2016 2/21/67
Uciferro, Carlo ◄ 422/C? 31 446 539 4/15/20 6/9/08
Valdez, Joseph A ◄ 28thID/110th 7/20/17 1/29/04
Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr 423/HQ 2nd Bn 12 102 964 Pfc 11/11/22 4/11/07
Voorhies, Andrew J ◄ 423/I 36 889 204 Pvt 8/16/25 4/5/84
Voytek, Frank J 422/? 33 434 312 9/24/21 4/5/01
Wade, Wallace R 423/F 31 428 454 Pfc 10/17/25
Watson, Dale H ◄ 423/A 36 952 197 Pfc 10/19/25
Weems, Urcil A ◄ 423/G 34 984 969 Pvt 4/20/14 8/22/65
Weissman, Val E, Jr 423/? 8/25/25 7/8/01
Wood, Robert H,Jr ◄ 423/K 38 194 577 Pfc 6/4/23 10/30/90
Zara, George D 590th FA/B * 6/9/21
Zicker, Gordon B 423/HQ Cpl 11/28/23 8/23/02
?Schlater, Charles L 0/0/18 12/0/82
?Blair, John
?Hediner, Walter S
?Cagle, Dick
?Carter, James 423/G 34 965 444 Pvt