Veteran's History Project

The Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

Leland Inscho's family lived in New Castle County, Delaware, having moved there from Basin, Wyoming. Leland was very aware of the situation brought on by Pearl Harbor and what was going on in Europe. He wanted to do his part, as a patriot. In November 1942, he did just that.

After the physical examination and other testing that was required, Leland entered Basic Combat Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. At ninety-four years old and his memory faded some, Leland remembered the Drill Sergeant, the hair cut, getting a bag full of clothes and gear. He recalled the barracks where he lived and the marching that was conducted. He learned who was to be saluted and who was not. Mostly, the Army men wanted the new recruits to know that it was the Army that was in charge, not the new kids.

At this place on the timeline of World War II history, there was a need to expedite matters on so many fronts. The American people were getting mobilized. Manufacturing and shipbuilding was revving up, war plans were being made and the military needed people, right now.

Leland finished Basic Training at Fort Dix and remained there for some weeks in advanced training as an infantryman. He already knew some of the essentials, but here, the work focused on "run – shoot – communicate", cover and concealment, squad formations and company level exercises. There was quite a bit of practice shooting the rifle, cleaning the rifle, and more shooting. He also did some work with the automatic weapons. In about three months, it was time to move out.

In about 1943, Leland and a few thousand others were loaded on a troop ship and steamed to England. Leland remembered the hammock beds stacked five or six high. He thought the trip was on a fairly direct line to get there. (Most ships made a zigzag route to avoid the U-boats).

Once arriving in the main port in Britain, the men were mustered off the ship and formed into groups. In a somewhat organized manner, men were marched off to various areas of encampment. They were introduced to the well-established "hurry up and wait" program carried out so well by the military. The billeting assignments were made so the men would know where they would be living for the next few days or weeks. They needed to know where to eat and where to take care of their physical needs.

Although his memory wasn't helpful at this juncture, it is surmised that Leland was sent to one of a couple of different elements fighting the Germans in France. The 104th Division, which he became a part of, arrived in France in September of 1944. Leland had already been in the fight for a time before that. The 104th was to take up operations in a defensive posture in the area of Wuustwezel, Belgium. One of its elements became the first unit to relieve an allied force in battle on the Western Front. The 104th Division switched to the offensive push and fought more than 200 days in combat.

Leland said that he saw several friends and many more enemy die in battle. He knew that from a company of 200 men, the number of survivors quickly diminished to less than fifty. He was thankful to have survived. He remembered eating C- rations and instantly recognized a "p-38" can-opening tool.

He was good at using the entrenching tool (collapsible shovel) and used it often. The soldier in the foxhole next to him was about two arm lengths away. He could hear the whiz and energy of the artillery coming in on the enemy. Most of the fighting he was involved with was at night. He used his rifle on many occasions to shoot enemy infantrymen 50 yards away.

In November 1944, a report was made that Leland was captured by German forces. He became a prisoner of war for 222 days at Stalag 2A, near Neubrandenburg, Germany. Their position was over-run by Nazi soldiers.

Leland recalled that he hated being a prisoner of war. The food was lousy as well as scarce. The prisoners were always messed with. The Nazi prison camp personnel were short-tempered and would just as soon shoot a prisoner as have to deal with one.

Leland said that he and a buddy got together and decided to make a break out of the camp. He said they worked on a plan for about a week. They didn't tell anyone else. When the time to act came, they went for it.

The freedom lasted for a few hours, but he and his buddy had no idea where to run away to. They had no map. They had no situational awareness of where they were. Rats! The Nazi guards captured the two and marched them back to the Stalag. From then on, Leland and his fellow soldier were kept in isolation for the duration of their imprisonment. The Nazi captors didn't want them talking, comparing notes and sharing information with others. Since they weren't gone that long, there was no record of their having escaped. They did their part though.

In April, 1945, Stalag 2A was liberated by Russian Forces. There were over 2,500 men held captive and then freed. Eventually, Leland made his way back to the 104th Division and after some time had passed, he was one of thousands heading back "home".

Leland earned the Combat Infantry Badge, The American Campaign Medal, The Good Conduct Medal, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Victory Medal, and the "Ruptured Duck" patch and lapel pin.

Leland is a resident of long-term care at the VA Medical Center in Cheyenne, WY.

Leland S. Inscho, you served your Country well! Sincere gratitude for your service, soldier!