Page 38 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Summer 2019- Online Magazine

Hubert Waldrop
For as long as I can remember,
I knew my dad was a POW in
Germany during World War
II. I can remember watching
Hogan’s Heroes and asking
Dad if it was really like that in
a POW camp. He always said
no, and not much else. When
he finally told me his story,
it was eye-opening. I really
appreciate the time it took to
tell me about his experience;
a lot of military history will
die when the World War II
veterans are gone.
Thanks, Dad,
Philip
38 Amarillo Senior Link
WWII POW
as told to Philip Waldrop
I was born in 1921 to school and gunnery school before
Roy and Fleda Osborn being assigned to a bomb group.
Waldrop at Gouldbusk, From April to December 1942,
Coleman County, I was at seven different bases. I
Texas. I had an older went to Cadet School but passed
brother, Porter, three up Officer Training School
younger sisters and a because I wanted combat. After
younger brother. My more training, I was assigned to
earliest memories are a crew of four officers and six
living on the Dibrell enlisted men on B-24s. I was the
ranch. I started first first engineer and the top turret
grade at Echo in a two- gunner.
room schoolhouse. The
next year, we moved We were assigned to the 8th Air
back to Coleman. I had Force as replacement crews for
a part-time job selling flying missions in Europe. We
soda pop, but after arrived in England in October;
a few days, I had to it was damp and foggy. Every
quit because I made time we flew, we had to get up
myself sick drinking to 15,000 feet before we could see
all my profits. We the sun. Our plane was a B-24
lived in Norton and called The Liberator. We called it
Mann before moving the “Flying Boxcar” because it
to Ballenger where I was square, solid and had a big
graduated in 1940. bomb load capacity.
In 1938, I asked Dad to sign a On our first mission over
paper so I could join the National Germany, our plane was on its
Guard. Porter had already signed 50th mission; it was worn out.
up. We were in Company C,
142nd Infantry, 36th Division. Several missions later, on
February 4, 1944, we were briefed
My enlistment was up in June for a mission over Frankfurt,
1941. On December 7, 1941, I was Germany. The wind was blowing
working at the Churchill Hotel in 60 mph. We dropped the bombs
San Diego when we heard on the and headed back to England into
radio that Pearl Harbor has been
bombed by the Japanese. Porter the wind. Two engines went out.
was in Pearl Harbor on the USS We dropped down in the clouds,
Pennsylvania. His ship was hit, and one more engine stopped.
but he escaped unhurt. The crew bailed out. When my
chute opened, I was carried
I went back to Texas to volunteer toward a valley in a snowstorm.
for the Army Air Force. On I barely missed some power
lines, and my parachute caught
January 1, 1942, I arrived at
Sheppard Field for basic training. in the top of two tall pine trees.
I went to airplane mechanic I climbed down and hid until