WWII veterans from South Florida share emotional stories

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida. The number of World War II veterans in Florida is decreasing every day. The Veterans Administration currently has just over 20,000 members.

It could be grandparents or great-grandparents in your family.

From their Jensen Beach home in Boca Raton, a group of four World War II veterans recently met in West Palm Beach.

They have a special distinction: they were prisoners of war in German POW camps.

The number of U.S. servicemen who were World War II POWs is hard to track, but the numbers are declining.

They told their stories to each other and WPTV.

Richard Lewis of Jensen Beach served in the army during the war.

“We were taken prisoner in the Battle of the Bulge in St. Wits, Belgium,” Lewis recalled. “I was in two different POW camps – 12a, 13c, and our food consisted of black bread. And we called it herbal soup. It had little. I lost weight. I went from 188 pounds to 116 pounds in four months.”

John Doniger, 102, from Boynton Beach, served in the Air Force during the war.

“We were on fire, so I instructed everyone to flee, which we did,” Doniger said. “Fortunately, everyone got out. They were shooting at me while we were parachuting down, so they grabbed me right away.”

Irv Buxin of Palm Beach Gardens was with the 78th Infantry Division during the Battle of the Bulge.

“When I was captured, I was the only one in the POW camp,” Buksin said. “The rest, I don’t know, either died or went somewhere else. It was the coldest winter ever recorded in Europe and I had a torn field jacket… I was freezing. I lay on the ground. was eaten by lice.”

Jack Goldstein from Boca Raton was in the army when he was taken prisoner in Italy.

“You take a young guy, 21-22 years old, give him a rifle and tell him to go fight, and he goes to fight, and before you know it, he is in the hands of the company,” Goldstein said. “I was a prisoner for 14 months.”

Doniger holds on to a dog tag given to him by the Germans while he was in a POW camp for 15 months after his capture.

Trim asked, “When you hold it, when you see it even so many years later, how does it feel when you hold it?”

“Nothing, really. I just look at it and say: so what? I beat you.”

Buxin said the American service dog tags, indicating his Jewish faith, were too dangerous to keep.

WATCH: WWII POWs in their own words

World War II POWs talk about favorites, fashion and the future of the country

“I threw away my tokens. When I was interrogated, I said that he was caught on barbed wire.”

When Doniger was asked if he was proud of his service and would do it again, he said: “Oh yes. Because, firstly, I was a volunteer.”

Lewis was asked the same question.

“I would do it again.”

Trim asked, “Why?

Lewis said, “I would go fight for my country. If I could”.

What these four veterans would like to see now is “part of” how things used to be.

Lewis said, “I think in my generation patriotism was the most important, but now it’s starting again. More and more people come up and shake my hand and thank me for my service.”

Buxin said, “All the people need is to say five words, thank you for your service.”

We would like to share more interviews with our veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

These are not just their military stories, these are men who are 102, 100, 98 and 97 years old.

Meeting Richard, Jack, John and Irv was a walk through history.

After hearing their stories about World War II POWs, Trim asked a few more questions.

“What was your favorite decade?” Trim asked.

Doniger said: “The next ten years after the war. That was, I think, the best part. You got married, you had children, and things went smoothly. Things were returning to normal. Yeah, I think that was the best part.”

Goldstein said, “When I had children.”

Lewis said: “50s. Trim asked: “Why is that?” Lewis said, “It was after the war that I met my wife, things got a lot better.”

We asked Booksin about how the heroes get home.

Buxin said: “When I came home and was at the parades and heroes, supposedly I was drinking water in one of the big buildings, and someone said, “Hey soldier, I had a uniform on, do you want to go to the show? public participation. I went in and they put me on the balcony, and one person came, and they were soldiers, sailors, and they chose me to be on stage.

Trim asked about their favorite fashion trend in their lives.

Doniger said “zoot suit!”

Buxin said: “Pleated zoot suit, long jacket with chain.”

Buxin then said, “Jeans, jeans came along, and it was in vogue.”

Trim asked veterans what they think of the war in Ukraine

Lewis said: “I don’t think it should have happened at all. I think we’re going in the wrong direction.”

Doniger said, “How many wars have we fought unnecessarily? It’s another unnecessary war, but it happens.”

Buxin said: “There is no need for this, you will not gain anything, but the hatred that accumulates in people? For what? That they can’t live together?

We then asked them what they thought about the direction of the country they serve.

Doniger said, “Down. Not up. It is being torn apart by ignorant ignoramuses who will destroy everything for their own gain.”

Richard: “I think patriotism was the most important thing in my generation. Mike asks, “Do you see it now? Richard says, “Not like when I was young.”

Buxin told a story about a trip to the Empire State Building, and the tourists complained

“I remember being pushed into these boxcars that I was in, couldn’t sit down and went through hell. And they said I was going to starve, and oh, it’s so crowded, four people in an elevator so crowded. So, all these things came back and I thought if you only knew what resilience is,” Buxin said.

When asked what it’s like to live such a long life, Doniger, 102, replied: “I just can’t believe I’m still here.”