Sharing my father's WWII POW time

Worcester, MA

I was looking over some past Legion magazines; in the September 2020 issue, one article stood out. It was a grandson who came across some papers from his grandfather's time as a POW. My dad as well was a POW, in the same camp. He had a wartime log that had been issued by the YMCA. In this log he also had illustrations of different things within the camp. These illustrations were done by a fellow POW who was paid with cigarettes. His last name was Liberti. My dad was with the 82nd Airborne Division, 504th Parachute Regiment '"Devils in Baggy Pants." He was captured on Sept. 28, 1944, and was liberated on April 29, 1945. My dad had this log and letters that he sent home to his mother and my mother.
He never really spoke about his time, but his log speaks for him. We are in the process of gathering all of his wartime correspondence; it will ultimately be put to historical use with the Worcester Historical Society for all to see.

MIchael J. McManus
Son of James E. McManus

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