Lt. Fred Bahlau 101st Airborne

Listen as Lt. Fred Bahlau of the 101st Airborne describes what it was like to be a paratrooper during WW II.  Fred was the recipient of two SILVER STARS FOR GALLANTRY.   Fred parachuted into Normandy France at about 3 am on the 6th of June 1944 commonly known as D-Day.  He then jumped into Holland on 17 Sept. 1944 (The Bridge to Far)  He and the 101st were also surrounded during the BATTLE OF THE BULGE in bitterly cold weather at Bastogne Belgium  where General Anthony McCauliffe  replied to  the German terms of surrender by stating the now famous reply of NUTS.  Because of Fred’s courage, people skills and the death of many men who were his superior in rank  (Battlefield Promotion) Fred held every enlisted pay grade as well as Second Lieutenant and First Lieutenant during his time fighting in WW II.  Fred also describes opening the concentration camp at Landsberg.  His words were little skinny people and many dead.  Landsberg  is the same prison that Adolf Hitler  was sent to in 1923 for trying to over throw the German government.   Fred said the he always carried a Thompson Sub-Machine gun (Tommy Gun) but being in the Airborne he could carry any weapon he wanted to.  Come early to see a lot of WW II memorabilia.

 

Program is at the St. Joseph Library 500 Market St. Joe Michigan 49085

Phone number 269-983-7167  Ms Appleton

Where: St. Joseph public library

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