An 80th Division veteran tells his story
Story and Photo Illustration by Timothy L. Hale
Army Reserve Public Affairs
LAKELAND, Fla. - An American flag waves proudly from the top of a weather-beaten pole in front of a red brick home on a quiet suburban street. The moss-covered oaks and palm trees shelter the home from the bustle of the city just a few blocks away.
Other than the flag, there is nothing remarkably noticeable that makes this home any different from others in the neighborhood.
But inside, there is a difference.
You see, inside lives a quiet and unassuming American hero. But he’ll never tell you that.
“I raise the flag every morning and take it down in the evening,” said Gerald Virgil Myers.
Myers, now 90 years-old, walks with the gait of someone half his age. He frequently returns to the battlefields of Europe where he earned both Silver and Bronze Stars along with a Purple Heart.
The Forest City, Mo. native has also been honored as an honorary citizen of Luxembourg, presented the French Legion of Honor and proudly holds one of 12 Patton medals presented by the city of Ettlebruck, Luxembourg.
But this week as the nation honors those who survived and lost their lives in Nazi Concentration Camps, it may be Myers’ story of the liberation of Buchenwald that is more telling of his time in Europe.
A member of Co. G, 2nd Battalion, 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division, Myers and his company were operating in Weimar on April 12, 1945. The next day, he and two other members of his unit made their grisly discovery.
I can remember that I was sitting in the back of the jeep behind Smitty and Percy Smith. As we drove up this lane, up around, and we looked up there, I said, “My God, Percy, look at all of those buildings.” Because there were buildings everywhere. Big buildings, big barracks that these people were living in. And then as we drove by the bushes we could see these guys just hanging on the fence and looking out and wondering.
Percy said, “My God, can you believe this?” And Smitty, the driver, he said “Where do you want me to go?” Percy said, “Just pull up here where these people are.”
We looked and he said, “I can’t believe that any place like this could be here in this beautiful country.” Because it’s a beautiful country around Weimar and they were on a hill two miles northwest of Weimar.
We drive up there and all of this you see, it boggles your mind. You couldn’t believe that all of this horror could be in such a beautiful place as that was.
This is a short excerpt of one man’s story of the liberation of Buchenwald. Click here to read the entire interview transcript.
