"It Hurts When I Sit" — German Women POWs Shocked by How American Soldiers Treated Them

They expected cruelty. They found mercy. In October 1944, German women prisoners of war—nurses, clerks, and Wehrmachthelferin auxiliaries—arrived at Fort Douglas, Utah, anticipating starvation, humiliation, and violence. Instead, they were met with warmth, clean uniforms marked “PW,” and medical care that defied everything Nazi propaganda had warned them about.

Over 425,000 German POWs were held across more than 500 American camps during World War II, yet mortality rates remained astonishingly low—under 1%—compared to over 50% in Soviet captivity. Lena Schmidt, a captured German nurse, received a small straw-filled cushion for a bruised hip, meals equivalent to 3,600 calories a day, and respectful treatment from American soldiers who followed Geneva Convention protocols. Declassified reports and firsthand accounts reveal a strict adherence to humane policy, transforming fear into disbelief, and challenging notions of enemy and ally.

Through letters, diaries, and camp records, we witness a quiet lesson: even amidst war, compassion can shock, heal, and endure. The strongest weapon is not what destroys, but what nurtures.