Some former POW's honored in Claremore

They volunteered to serve their country, watched friends lose their lives and they lost their freedom. <br/><br/>18 American Prisoners of War were honored in Claremore Friday, with the Oklahoma Cross

Friday, May 6th 2005, 10:05 am

By: News On 6

They volunteered to serve their country, watched friends lose their lives and they lost their freedom.

18 American Prisoners of War were honored in Claremore Friday, with the Oklahoma Cross of Valor. Many were POW's from World War II.

News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin was there and for Private First Class Richard Knoblock, the walk to receive this award began 60 years ago, when he marched into a German labor camp as a prisoner of war. "I was captured the evening of December the 17th."

Knoblock was one of nearly 24,000 Americans taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge. "Many of my comrades were killed and I was spared and I still have trouble understanding why I was spared." For months, as far as his family knew, the 19-year old soldier had simply vanished.

"They didn't know whether I was dead or alive, I was still just missing in action." Finally they received word from inside the camp, "Feeling fine, don't worry, God bless you all." Shortly after that Knoblock was liberated.

Looking back, he says he's made peace with his captors. "They were doing the same thing for their country that we were doing for our country." For the former POW's and the families of those who didn't live to see this day, this honor is different than the rest. It's because it shows they're being remembered at the heart of where they come from, Oklahoma.

For some, the event was a tribute to those already gone. One widow tearfully accepted her husband's honor clutching his picture. The remaining survivors share something few have experienced.

Outside, they planted a tree, to shade future generations, the way their service protected so many. "We were 19 years old, we were young, we were ornery boys, but that helped us survive, it truly did."

Now those boys, long grown into men, stand to be honored, still willing to serve. "They have said of us older veterans like myself, if you were asked would you go again. You bet! Let's go."