Rudolph Baer

     The first place that Rudolph was sent to was Fort Custer, Michigan where he trained to be a MP (Military Police). After that, he was sent to Europe to take over towns and make it safe for more armies to move in. He moved from city to city and was lucky he never got injured. One time while going to a town, his train stopped for some apparent reason and he didn’t know why. When Mr. Baer got off the train, he looked down because the train was stopped on a bridge over the town where they were going. The town was hundreds of feet beneath him. Since they stopped, he slept right there on the bridge. The next morning, the train was fixed and they were off again.   

    Another story that he shared with us was about an experience he had on Thanksgiving during the war. He said that everyone was told that they were going to receive turkey, mashed potatoes, pie, stuffing, corn and many more items of food. It turned out that all they got was a small mess kit with all those things in a large pile! He said he remembers that particular incident quite vividly. Mr. Baer went on to be in the war for three years.

   While Rudolph Baer was aboard a ship that was heading toward the next place he was going to be stationed, the Captain announced wonderful news. He said they were going to change their route to New York! This meant the war was over and that they were returning home! He called his wife to tell her he was coming home but she had already heard. It was all over the newspapers because they were going to be one of the first ships back. Rudolph and some of the men aboard the ship had taken wine earlier, and when they heard the news, they drank it all to celebrate. He told us that there were no words to describe how happy he felt once he was in America. Once they reached America, all the soldiers were discharged, except for the officers, which he was. A few months later though, he was discharged and went home to his wife. On December 23, 2000, he turned 90 years old. Now he lives on West Broad Street in Horseheads.

        Mr. Baer learned the terrors of war and the occurrences he faced during the war still haunt him today. His sacrifices made a huge contribution to where we are today. He told us, “The worst part of war is the misery,” and returning home was a happiness that he could not describe in words. Mr. Baer was only one of the millions of soldiers in the war, but each person made an outstanding effort in rewarding people everywhere freedom, security, and most importantly, their lives, by helping to end the war.

           Mr. Rudolph Baer, a WWII veteran, was born December 23,1910. Born and raised in Elmira, he went off to war for three years beginning in 1943. In March 2001 he had the pleasure of talking to Mr. Baer about his experiences in the war. He left his family, friends, and community when he joined the service. He sacrificed all that he had at home to fight for our country.

Before the war, Mr. Baer lived on Hewitt Street in Horseheads. He was married for six years with no children. He was a salesman before the war, and when the war began his wife had to go to work. One Sunday, Rudolph was out hunting, and when he got home his wife told him about Pearl Harbor and Congress declaring war. He knew sooner or rater he would have to join the war. In April 1943 Rudolf went into service.