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Interviewee
Dahl, Floyd
Document Type
Oral History
Date of Interview
6-12-2004
Abstract
Floyd Dahl was born on 21 March 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, one of three boys. He grew up there, and graduated from Minneapolis South High School in 1941. In March 1943, Floyd was inducted into the US Army. By the end of 1944, Floyd was serving in Belgium with Battery C of the 590th Field Artillery, 106th Infantry Division. German forces launched a large scale offensive in the region on 16 December, and thousands of American forces were taken prisoner. On 19 December, Floyd became one of these prisoners. The Germans marched Floyd and many other POWs to Stalag IV-B Muhlberg; Floyd remained here, enduring poor conditions and a lack of food, until advancing Soviet Red Army forces liberated the camp on 23 April 1945. With no transportation to American lines, which were approximately one hundred miles to the west, Floyd and several others remained in the area. He was in the city of Leipzig when the war against Germany ended on 8 May 1945. Floyd was repatriated to US forces and then transported back to the United States. He was discharged later in 1945. By his own account, Floyd spent decades recovering from his ordeal as a POW. He and his first wife, Irene, were divorced within a short time, and he suffered physical and psychological effects of his months in prison camp. This interview took place in June 2004 at Floyd's residence in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Copyright
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without the written permission of Concordia University Library or Thomas Saylor, Department of History, Concordia University, St. Paul.
Recommended Citation
Saylor, Thomas, "Oral History Project World War II Years, 1941-1946 - Floyd Dahl" (2004). Oral History Project: World War II Years, 1941-1946. 18.
https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/oral-history_ww2/18
PDF Transcript of Interview with Floyd Dahl