205615 Cpl. Charles Joseph Wheeler United States Army Coy B 81st Engr Bn. from:St Louis, MO Corporal Charles J. (Chuck) Wheeler was my father. He passed away in 1981. I have the telegrams and correspondence from the War Department and my father that were sent to my grandparents documenting his journey.
A telegram dated January 17, 1945 indicates that he was reported missing on December 21, 1944 in Belgium. A telegram dated March 30, 1945 tells of a report received through the International Red Cross that he was a prisoner of war of the German government. The next telegram dated May 25, 1945 states that he was returned to "Military Control" on May 8, 1945.
My father, like so many, spoke very little of the whole experience except to say, over and over, "I was taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge and marched all over Europe until the end of the war."
He had scars across the front of his chest and across the back of his neck from which he said he picked shrapnel for years after the war.
I have a post card from him dated January 15, 1945 showing a POW number 23890 and Stalag II B. He says "Mack is still with me and we are both ok."
He talked of he and a buddy bartering cigarettes for eggs. Neither of them spoke German. They got the eggs and went to cook them and found out that the woman had been trying to tell them they were COOKED eggs!
If any of this rings any bells out there, I would really like to be able to fill in more pieces of the puzzle.
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