Virginia man retraces WWII POW father's Death March through Germany

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John Harper, a 74-year-old man from West Point, Virginia, recently traveled to Germany to retrace the harrowing journey of his father, John Paul Harper, who served as a nose gunner on a B-24 bomber during World War II. On August 4, 1944, John Paul's bomber was crippled by flak, and he was taken prisoner by the Germans. John Paul spent several miserable months in a POW camp before being forced to march 600 miles in brutal conditions as part of the so-called "Shoe Leather Express" as the German army was collapsing. Hundreds died along the way, but John Paul survived, weighing only 91 pounds when he was finally rescued. John's trip to Germany allowed him to visit the crash site of his father's bomber, the POW camp where he was held, and the locations along the Death March route, providing him with a deeper emotional connection to his father's harrowing experience.

Why it matters

This story highlights the lasting impact of World War II on individual lives and the importance of preserving and honoring the experiences of those who lived through it. John's journey to retrace his father's steps not only allowed him to better understand his father's ordeal, but also connected him to a shared history with the German people, demonstrating the power of empathy and reconciliation even decades later.

The details

During his trip, John visited the crash site of the Daisy Mae, his father's B-24 bomber, where he and the crew parachuted into enemy territory. He also traveled to the POW camp where his father was held and the locations along the 600-mile "Shoe Leather Express" Death March route, where hundreds of American prisoners died in brutal conditions. John's father, John Paul Harper, never took his boots off during the entire march, fearing he might not be able to get them back on. When the Americans were finally rescued, the six-foot-tall John Paul weighed only 91 pounds.

• On August 4, 1944, John's father's B-24 bomber, the Daisy Mae, was crippled by flak and the crew parachuted into enemy territory.
• John's father, John Paul Harper, spent several miserable months in a POW camp following his capture.
• As the German army was collapsing, John Paul and thousands of other American prisoners were forced to march 600 miles in brutal conditions as part of the so-called "Shoe Leather Express", which lasted 86 days.
• John's father, John Paul Harper, died in 2022 at the age of 97.

What they’re saying

What’s next

John plans to continue sharing his father's story and the history of the Daisy Mae bomber to preserve the memory of those who experienced the horrors of World War II.