Last week on Veteran’s Day, I found myself thinking of some family members who had served in the military. My father, both my grandfathers, several uncles and even my Swedish great grand uncle, just to name a few.  And one relative I never knew about until recently – my grandmother’s cousin, Melvin J. Schenck.

Several years ago while researching the Schenk/Schenck side of my family, I came across a military record indicating that Melvin may have died in a prisoner of war camp in 1945.¹  The details in the record are sobbering:

• Name: Melvin J. Schenck
• Grade: Private
• Service Branch: Army
• Area Served: European Theatre – Belgium
• Detaining Country: Germany
• Camp: 006
• Status: Died as Prisoner of War
• Report Source: Individual has been reported through sources considered official.

I couldn’t remember hearing anything about this from my father so I wondered whether I had the right person.  After further investigation, I sadly learned that the record was indeed for my grandmother’s cousin.

Recently, while going through a scrapbook kept by my grandmother, Georgiana Frances Schenk Dalin, I came across this newspaper clipping which fills in some of the details.

According to the article, Private Schenck left for overseas duty in September 1944 and was attached to the 394th infantry medical detachment. He was reported missing on December 18, 1944, but his mother received a letter from him several months later on April 11th (the letter was actually dated January 18th) confirming that he was a prisoner of war but “was well and being well treated.”

I can only imagine the roller coaster of emotion experienced by his mother.  Melvin was captured in the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge which took place from December 16, 1944 through January 25, 1945, and which occurred in Belgium, France and Luxembourg on the Western Front toward the end of World War II. And from news reports, she would have later learned that on December 17, 1944, the day before Melvin was reported missing, the “Malmedy Massacre” had occurred – a war crime in which 84 American POWs were murdered by the 1st SS Panzier Division. This news would have been particiularly disheartening since the massacre occurred in Belgium, where it seems Melvin was stationed.

Several long months went by before she received a letter from her son stating that he was alive and well.  Although he was being held prisoner, she must have been relieved to learn he was still alive, at least as of January 18th. By that time, she also knew the war was winding down. If only her son could hold on.

When the German forces unconditionally surrendered to the Allies less than a monthly later on May 7th, she must have prayed for good news to come.  On or about May 12th, however, she was notified by the Army that her son had died of diphtheria in a German prison camp on March 11, 1945.² He was only 23 years old.

Pvt. Melvin J. Schenck is buried in Highland Cemetery in Great Falls, Montana³.

Update: Click here for an update on this post.

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