The Best Chicken Thief in All of Europe - Mike Befeler - Bog

Ed was a Jewish-American soldier who served in the 399th Infantry Regiment of the 100th Division in Europe during World War II. From the end of 1944 through 1945, the division fought valiantly to expel the Germans from France. Ed recalls the battle in the foxholes, hand to hand combat, throwing Molotov cocktails at enemy tanks and more horrors of war during the relentless combat. The 100th division suffered over 12,215 casualties and hundreds of soldiers reported as missing in action were actually taken prisoner by the Nazis in Germany and mistreated as were all of the holocaust victims. Some, like Ed, miraculously survived. There were over 94,000 Americans detained in the European campaign during World War II.In order to transport the prisoners to the POW camps, the Germans forced Ed and hundreds of prisoners into overcrowded rail cars and locked them in for 7 days without food and water. They could only stand chest to chest. Ed survived but the time in the crowded box car damaged a leg. However, many perished before arriving at the camp. Ed survived being a prisoner of war and was liberated by the Russians. Once returned to American lines, he received two purple hearts and was released from the Army with a medical disability. He suffered from what we now know as post traumatic stress disorder, had a difficult time adjusting and went through a bitter divorce. He was able to pull himself back up, had a very loving second marriage and became a successful business person running a small business. Throughout all of this, he maintained an impish sense of humor and recounted stories of his experiences including how he became the best chicken thief in all of Europe.