Aubrey was drafted into the U.S. Army and reported for duty
on November 22, 1943 at the age of 20. He had tried at age 17 to join the Army
Air Corps and the Navy. He was denied with both services because he found out
that he was color blind!
After basic training with the Army at Camp Walter’s, Texas and
Camp Wheeler, Georgia, Aubrey was sent overseas to the European Theater of
Operations with the famous 82nd Airborne Division.
After being stationed in Wales for a short time, Aubrey was
part of a mission jumping into Holland to destroy a German ammunition dump.
In October, 1944 Aubrey was on the front lines when a German
hand grenade exploded nearby. He was knocked out but when he awoke he was a
prisoner of the German army.
Aubrey has written extensively about his experience as a
prisoner of war. He was taken to a POW camp where his injured back and hand
were treated. He experienced the near starvation diet that Allied POW’s
endured. But the German’s were also existing on a lean diet of hard bread and
cabbage soup which tended to be the meal of choice.
After a period of time, Aubrey was sent to work on a farm
with a German family. This family was kind to Aubrey and warned him several
times if for example the Nazi SS were nearby. Aubrey was with this family when
on May 2, 1945 he heard loudspeakers telling German soldiers to stack their
rifles and board busses. He left the German family and eventually made it the
American lines.
After the war, Aubrey and his family traveled to Germany and
met up with the kind family. The reunions were always a happy time and several
of the wartime young children would come from other parts of Germany to meet with
Aubrey and his family.
Aubrey was discharged from the military on November 9, 1945
with the rank of Corporal. He was awarded the POW medal and the Purple Heart.
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