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SDPB Homefront Stories

Emil G. Mutschelknaus, 2007 

  • Branch of Service: United States Army
  • Highest Rank: Buck Sergeant
  • Military Service: January 1942 - November 1945

 

Listen to the following sections by scrolling forward to the timecode.

0:00 - Drafted into a medical battalion 
1:00 - Overseas for two years, drove a truck
1:47 - Guarded Germans as they cleaned Dachau Concentration Camp, a difficult experience, horrible sight, piles of bodies, there for seven weeks 
4:43 - Getting ready to go home 
5:16 - Memories of WWII are still difficult today; wake up at night, nothing helps, all soldier buddies have died
6:32 - In Dachau Camp two different times during the war 
7:20 - Memories of the atomic bomb, three brothers also in the war
8:13 - Time after the war, hard to adjust, drank when returned because of the camp, the smell was horrible, piles of bodies

Emil G. Mutschelknaus Obituary 

This story was recorded at an SDPB event in Sioux Falls, SD. 


Images Provided by Emil G. Mutschelknaus


Emil G. Mutschelknaus (right) is standing with fellow soldier and friend Harold DeVaul (left); the photo was taken near Hitler's home after the war ended.


Hankie given to Emil G. Mutschelknaus by a young French girl and her family during WWII.



For more information about SDPB's educational resources 
and services contact Steven Rokusek at
EdServices@sdpb.org or at (605) 222-3422


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