Buick, Maureen Man of Confidence

Kenneth J. Kurtenbach. WWII's Longest-Serving American POW camp leader

Shot down at the age of twenty-one, tortured by the Gestapo, and transferred to the infamous Stalag 17B, Kenneth J. Kurtenbach refused to be merely another prisoner of warhe became a "POW in Combat." He led more than 4,000 Air Force comrades behind barbed wire, fighting daily for their rights, their survival, and their dignity in accordance with the Geneva Convention. Many credited him with saving their lives; all remembered him as the leader who gave them hope and helped them return home with honor. In December 1942, after evading capture for thirteen days in Nazi-occupied France, "Kurt" was seized by the Gestapo, interrogated by the notorious Klaus Barbie, and transferred through a series of POW camps before finally reaching Stalag 17B. There, for eighteen monthsuntil liberationhe bore the heavy responsibility of serving as the prisoners' sole official representative to the German and Swiss authorities, tirelessly advocating for improved living conditions for his fellow captives. Awarded the Legion of Merit and nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor, Kurtenbach has previously been recognized in books, documentaries, and interviews with the Holocaust Museum and the History Channelyet his complete story has never before been told. Based on extensive archival research and eyewitness accounts, this book tells the compelling story of Kurt Kurtenbachfrom his childhood in Iowa and Montana to his final days. It demonstrates how courage, determination, and an indomitable will can endure even in humanity's darkest hours.