Personal History - Sergeant John Kline:
Born in Indiana, 1925, graduating from a country high school in April 1943, I was inducted into the Army of the United States. My Infantry Basic Training was completed at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. I was then sent to the University of Alabama for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).

In March 1944 the Army Specialized Training Program was deactivated. I was sent to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, along with about 1,200 other ASTP students to join the 106th Infantry Division who were just coming off Tennessee Maneuvers. I was assigned to "M" Company, 423rd Infantry Regiment, Third Battalion- the heavy weapons company who duties were to support Rifle Companies, I, K and L. The primary weapons of M Company were the 30 caliber water cooled machine gun and the 81mm mortar. Newly assigned on 28 March, I helped "M" Company clean up their equipment as they came into camp from the long road marches after the Tennessee Maneuvers.

My first assignment was as a "Jeep" driver for the 2nd squad, 1st Platoon - a machine-gun squad (30 cal water-cooled). After a short time as Jeep driver, I requested to join the squad for whom I drove. I was given the position of "second gunner." Shortly after that my Squad Leader was sent to a replacement depot for an overseas assignment. I then made "first gunner." Then, again, the new squad leader was sent to a replacement depot at which time I became "acting squad leader." A few days before we embarked on the Queen Elizabeth to England, in October 1944, I was made Sergeant - machine gun squad leader. That was my rank and duty until I was captured in The Battle of the Bulge on 19 December 1944.

As a prisoner I walked a total of approximately 525 miles. One hundred and ten miles from the point of capture on the German-Belgium border to Stalag 12-A (German prison camp), Limburg, Germany. We never entered the camp, but were loaded into box-cars, 60 men to a box-car. We then traveled seven days, six nights in the 40&8 box-cars (Originally built for 40 men or 8 horses) to Stalag 4-B, Muhlberg, Germany (on the Elbe River). Due to bombing raids and bad tracks our trip was much longer than normal. We did not get out of the box-cars during the whole trip. Our toilet facility for 60 men was a 5 gallon bucket. We were fed only three times during the trip. A slice of bread and a small, very small portion of cheese, water only twice. We used a can on a string to scoop snow from the tracks.

I spent one week in Stalag 4-B, Mühlberg, Germany. While there I turned age 20. I was shipped on an over-night box-car ride to Stalag 8-A, Görlitz, Germany, along with approximately 1,600 non-commissioned officers from the 28th and 106th Infantry Divisions. Görlitz is about 80 miles east of Dresden on the old Polish/Czech border. One month later on, Valentine's Day - February 14, 1945, we were evacuated from Stalag 8-A due to advancing Russian troops. This leg of my "POW Marching Experience" would take me 415 miles (in two months) west to Dresden, Jena, Gotha, then slightly northwest to Duderstad, then north to Braunschweig (Brunswick). After a couple of days in an old work camp in Braunschweig we were marched east. At that time I was so weak that I could not walk. I was put in a "sick-wagon" column, separated from the main columns. On April 12, 1945 we arrived at the town of Helmstedt, Germany. There we were housed in a Farben Industries ammunition plant infirmary. The next day at 10:30 a.m. we were liberated by the American Army. LIBERATION DAY was Friday April 13, 1945. I shall never forget that day.

Back home, May 1945 (the picture to the right shows me after I had gained 15 pounds). I was discharged after a 5 month sick and convalescent leave. I had, during my Prisoner of War experience, lost 50 pounds of my fighting weight of 170 pounds and had walked over 525 miles. I spent only one month and one week in prison compounds, the rest of the 4 months was on the road or in box-cars. It did not take long to regain my weight since my mother and my wife saw to it that I had a lot of food. I was discharged in December 1945.

Our Division had suffered a great defeat by the Germans and for years I was of the opinion that I had not done my duty for my country. I buried my experiences raised a family and tried to forget the war. In early 1987 I read a great book by Charles B. MacDonald A Time for Trumpets: the untold story of the Battle of the Bulge WILLIAM MORROW AND COMPANY, INC., NEW YORK. I realized that the blame for our defeat could not be placed at the feet of the ordinary soldier. I came out of my shell and decided to find some of my old comrades. This led me to the 106th Infantry Division Association. In September 1987 I attended my first reunion and talked with three of my old comrades, the first I had seen of them since December 1944. Since then I have found 70 veterans that belonged to my 1944 unit. At that reunion of old comrades in Mobile, Alabama, I volunteered to become the editor of the Association's quarterly magazine to replace the former editor who had died in January.

I have enjoyed the 106th Infantry Division Association so much. I published my first CUB in September 1987 and have been at it ever since. In 1991, I compiled information from 185 CUB magazines into a 496 page book. It is entitled The CUB of the Golden Lion: PASSES in REVIEW. Over 2,300 have been printed and distributed. (NOW OUT OF PRINT) This was a personal effort on my part taking 475 hours of research, compilation and publishing, but it was not for personal profit. The book is a product of the Association. What I enjoy about The CUB of the Golden Lion: PASSES in REVIEW is that the stories came from the men of the 106th. It is their book. They contributed to it through their personal stories that were printed in The CUB, since its beginning in 1947.

I have, since I joined the Association in 1987, served on the 106th Infantry Association Board three years (88-90) re-elected to a five year term as a board member - (1995-2000) - elected as president (97-98 fiscal year) at the 51st Annual Reunion, Nashville, Tennessee - Sept 1997. As "Past-President" I continue my duties as editor of The CUB magazine.

Go to: Sergeant John Kline War Diary
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Installed 3 April, 1996
Revised: 06 November 2006
Copyright © 1996 --- John Kline