Click on the video link to watch the story of Fresno's Frank Creede, Jr. Joining the Army at age, 18, Creede was with the 106th Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge. On December 19th, 1944, he was one of more than 7,000 American soldiers (two regiments) surrendered to German forces after being surrounded. Creede spent three-and-a-half months as a P.O.W., arriving at Stalag IX B in Bad Orb, Germany on Christmas Day, 1944.
Some of his P.O.W. mementos are on display at Fresno's Veterans Memorial Museum. For more information on Stalag IX B, check out Lone Sentry's web page about the P.O.W. camp.
Other Stories of Service from CBS 47
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Every day in the Valley, we lose another perspective on history, with the death of a World War II veteran. Preserving the unique recollections of World War II vets before it's too late is a monumental challenge, but it's one Valley teenagers are addressing, with the help of adult volunteers, and of course, the legions of veterans who are participating in the Stories of Service project.
Stories of Service is a nationwide campaign dedicating to recording first-hand accounts of the war in the form of digital video documentaries, narrated by the veterans themselves. Fresno is home to the California headquarters for the project, and CBS 47 is teaming up with Stories of Service with the hope of preserving as many stories as possible before the veterans aren't around to tell them anymore.
There are a number of ways you can help preserve history before it's too late. To find out more, call the California headquarters of the Stories of Service project:
(559)445-0015
or
Learn more at the official Stories of Service website
