Post by connie on Jul 30, 2017 16:18:19 GMT -5
Gunvalson, Russell Lloyd, 590 A, POW IX-B, IXA Forward Artillery Spotter
OBITUARY: www.legacy.com/obituaries/postbulletin/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=186163762
Russell died Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at home at the age of 93 years, 10 months. He was born July 11, 1923, in Spring Valley, Wis., to Hans Christian and Gurina (Anderson) Gunvalson. He graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1941. He worked for a time in Spring Valley until he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943. Cpl. Gunvalson was a forward artillery spotter in Battery A, 590th Field Artillery Battalion,106th Infantry Division. His location was overrun by German troops on Dec. 19, 1944, and Russell was one of 6697 troops in the 106th captured by the Germans.
Russell spent from Dec. 19, 1944, to March 30, 1945, in three different prisoner of war camps in Germany. His war experiences were published in a book he wrote. Russell was a frequent guest speaker to many high school history classes in Rochester and the surrounding area. He was also regularly interviewed by students for their historical research papers.
Russell was a member of the American ExPOW organization belonging to the Wisconsin Indianhead Chapter and a founding member of the Minnesota Hiawatha Chapter of the organization. He was a member of the ExPOWs, DAV, American Legion, and the 106th Division Association organizations at the time of his death...
ROSTER ON INDIANA MILITARY SITE:
gives the two POW camps listed above; His obituary mentions he was in three.
Also noted on this site:
"Along with many other captured Americans, Russ was marched away from the front line area to the German town of Gerolstein, and from there transported by rail to Stalag IX-B at Bad Orb, southeast of Frankfurt/Main; the three-day rail journey ended on Christmas Eve 1944. In late January 1945 Russ was in a group of non-commissioned officers transferred to Stalag IX-A, Ziegenhain, and he remained here until this camp was liberated by advancing US troops on 30 March 1945. Russ was moved to a medical facility in Rouen, France, then in early May 1945 shipped to the US; he spent the time until his discharge in December 1945 back home in Wisconsin, and recovering at several stateside medical facilities."
ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION ON INDIANA MILITARY SITE: www.indianamilitary.org/German%20PW%20Camps/Prisoner%20of%20War/PW%20Camps/Stalag%20IX-B%20Bad%20Orb/Russell%20Gunvalson/Gunvalson-Russell.pdf. This interview was done by Thomas Sailors of Concordia College
CONCORDIA COLLEGE INTERVIEW LIST: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/3527/thread
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT: memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.23971/
Includes a 16 minute audio interview with Russell's sister. A few things noted by her:
The book he wrote was entitled How 24 Hours Can Change Your Life. It was written for his grandchildren who liked to hear his stories and asked him to write it down. Twelve copies were made. The title came from the time he went into service. He and a friend were heading for their induction into the service. His friend had other means of transportation, headed off a day before him, and ended up in a different outfit. He was waiting for a bus the next day. A snow storm hit and delayed him 24 hours. He ended up in the 106th Infantry Division where he was captured and became a POW.
She noted his liberation day on Mar. 30, 1945 was Good Friday.
She mentioned the old quote about their being no atheists in foxholes and noted that Russell had expanded on this by noting there were no atheists in POW camps either and adding that was how he had survived.
Frostbite in his legs, feet and hands from this WWII experience had caused problems later in life.
A kick from a German youth led to a hernia which later back in the states ruptured.
Middle name in note above came from his sister's interview
OBITUARY: www.legacy.com/obituaries/postbulletin/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=186163762
Russell died Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at home at the age of 93 years, 10 months. He was born July 11, 1923, in Spring Valley, Wis., to Hans Christian and Gurina (Anderson) Gunvalson. He graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1941. He worked for a time in Spring Valley until he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943. Cpl. Gunvalson was a forward artillery spotter in Battery A, 590th Field Artillery Battalion,106th Infantry Division. His location was overrun by German troops on Dec. 19, 1944, and Russell was one of 6697 troops in the 106th captured by the Germans.
Russell spent from Dec. 19, 1944, to March 30, 1945, in three different prisoner of war camps in Germany. His war experiences were published in a book he wrote. Russell was a frequent guest speaker to many high school history classes in Rochester and the surrounding area. He was also regularly interviewed by students for their historical research papers.
Russell was a member of the American ExPOW organization belonging to the Wisconsin Indianhead Chapter and a founding member of the Minnesota Hiawatha Chapter of the organization. He was a member of the ExPOWs, DAV, American Legion, and the 106th Division Association organizations at the time of his death...
ROSTER ON INDIANA MILITARY SITE:
gives the two POW camps listed above; His obituary mentions he was in three.
Also noted on this site:
"Along with many other captured Americans, Russ was marched away from the front line area to the German town of Gerolstein, and from there transported by rail to Stalag IX-B at Bad Orb, southeast of Frankfurt/Main; the three-day rail journey ended on Christmas Eve 1944. In late January 1945 Russ was in a group of non-commissioned officers transferred to Stalag IX-A, Ziegenhain, and he remained here until this camp was liberated by advancing US troops on 30 March 1945. Russ was moved to a medical facility in Rouen, France, then in early May 1945 shipped to the US; he spent the time until his discharge in December 1945 back home in Wisconsin, and recovering at several stateside medical facilities."
ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION ON INDIANA MILITARY SITE: www.indianamilitary.org/German%20PW%20Camps/Prisoner%20of%20War/PW%20Camps/Stalag%20IX-B%20Bad%20Orb/Russell%20Gunvalson/Gunvalson-Russell.pdf. This interview was done by Thomas Sailors of Concordia College
CONCORDIA COLLEGE INTERVIEW LIST: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/3527/thread
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT: memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.23971/
Includes a 16 minute audio interview with Russell's sister. A few things noted by her:
The book he wrote was entitled How 24 Hours Can Change Your Life. It was written for his grandchildren who liked to hear his stories and asked him to write it down. Twelve copies were made. The title came from the time he went into service. He and a friend were heading for their induction into the service. His friend had other means of transportation, headed off a day before him, and ended up in a different outfit. He was waiting for a bus the next day. A snow storm hit and delayed him 24 hours. He ended up in the 106th Infantry Division where he was captured and became a POW.
She noted his liberation day on Mar. 30, 1945 was Good Friday.
She mentioned the old quote about their being no atheists in foxholes and noted that Russell had expanded on this by noting there were no atheists in POW camps either and adding that was how he had survived.
Frostbite in his legs, feet and hands from this WWII experience had caused problems later in life.
A kick from a German youth led to a hernia which later back in the states ruptured.
Middle name in note above came from his sister's interview