They are leaving us at an estimated rate of 1,100 a week. Some cemeteries, especially those in states with a high density of retirees, conduct burial services for them in a nearly continuous ceremony every day of the week. They are the veterans of World War II, some in their late 70’s, but most now in their 80’s and a few in their 90s. The Defense Department says there were nearly 16.5 million of them. Some say they were the ‘Greatest Generation’, others say they were an ‘Unlucky Generation’. Either way, the one this story chronicles said he, “wouldn’t trade the experience for anything else in the world.” Regardless, these selfless men and women were the cream of American youth during the first half of the 20th century.
As a teenager, Charles Overstreet got the photo bug. He began what became a lifetime hobby of chronicling the day-to-day life and changes in this small (5,086) population community in southeastern Illinois. He put together what he called a makeshift ‘dark room’ in his parents’ basement. But at the age of 19, in 1942, he was drafted into the Army. He was first stationed in England awaiting orders for the invasion of France. By this time he was carrying a 35mm camera. When the unit’s commanding officer discovered Overstreet was an avid photographer, he made him the battalion photographer.
There is nothing pretty about war and Mr. Overstreet photographed some of its most gruesome moments. He saw combat from August 1944 through the German surrender in May 1945. The most horrific photos in the collection are from the small village of Gardelegen, Germany.
It is April 1945 and the Nazi war machine is in full retreat on all fronts. Some 2,000 prisoners of war are being herded west out of Poland by German SS Storm Troopers. The forced march, with little rest, food or water has dwindled the group to little more than 1,000 by the time they reach Gardelegen, a small village east of Berlin. Here the prisoners are stuffed into a building little more than 50x100 feet. The building is set afire by the SS guards. Those trying to escape the flames are machine-gunned.
Mr. Overstreet, nearly 58 years later, still vividly, calmly recalls,… “We could smell it two miles away. The burning flesh! When we got there, the bodies were stacked on top of each other. Many were still smoking. We found three guys alive. This one guy is buried under several other men. The corpses protected him. He told us he had stumbled and fell fleeing the building. It was the luckiest fall in his life because the machine gun fire was over his head and some of the other men who were shot fell over him and protected him. You see, these SS guys went back over the piles and they shot anyone who was still moaning or pleading for help. Another I can never forget; he had gotten part of the way through one of four doors before it squeezed closed on him with only his head and part of one shoulder showing. He had an expression of fear and pleading. His eyes went right through you”./p>
Gruesome, yes! Historic, absolutely!
This one horrific vision of war is part of a collection of photographs taken by Mr. Overstreet before, during and after his service in World War II. More than 700 photos are from his Army days. A $14,000 Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) federal grant administered by the Illinois State Library will allow the Flora Public Library to electronically preserve these images far into the future.
Donna Corry, Director of the Flora Public Library said, “our dream is to eventually get his entire collection digitized, as well as create digital copies of items in the library’s local history archives, and the unique historic items and artifacts owned by other citizens. However, the focus of this grant project will be Mr. Overstreet’s World War II collection.
Today, Mr. Overstreet, 80, is a retired Mayor of Flora. He served one term from 1983-87. In a promotion to garner a state prison for the town, he appeared on the “Tonight Show” and “Good Morning America.” As part of the town’s public relations campaign to sway state government to put the prison in Flora, then Mayor Overstreet appeared as Boss Hogg complete with white suit and white Cadillac from the popular 1970s television show, the “Dukes of Hazard”. No, the prison went elsewhere. But that’s another story.
This picture is similar to one that was in Time Magazine in 1945. The place was called Purple Heart Corner, it was said if one stood there for 10 seconds they would get a Purple Heart. It has been a two story house when we moved in and in a couple days was just rubble.
German prisoners being marched into courtyard and lined up. Wonder what they were thinking?
(For further information, call Donna Corry, Flora Public Library,618-662-6553).
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