World War II Honoree

Walter Gerson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

AFTER GRADUATING FROM PENN STATE UNIVERSITY IN 1943, HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY. BECAUSE HE REMAINED FLUENT IN HIS FIRST LANGUAGE, GERMAN, HE WAS PLEASED WHEN THE ARMY SENT HIM TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA TO LEARN TO BE AN INTERPRETER. HOWEVER, THAT CHANGED WHEN HE WAS ASSIGNED TO LEARN HINDUSTANI. AFTER SCHOOL, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO CAMP RITCHIE, MARYLAND, WHERE HE WAS TRAINED TO BE AN INTERROGATOR AND THEN WAS ATTACHED TO THE 80TH INFANTRY DIVISION. AT A CONCENTRATION CAMP NEAR THE TOWN OF ERFURT, HE INTERVIEWED SURVIVING SLAVE LABORERS FROM FRANCE, POLAND, LITHUANIA AND ELSEWHERE AND INTERPRETED FOR THE DIVISION'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT OFFICER. HE ALSO INTERVIEWED CIVILIANS LIVING IN THE TOWN ITSELF, WHO INVARIABLY PROFESSED TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE CAMP.