Just Politics

[Porgie Tirebiter]

When I was a young pup airplane mechanic working at Palwaukee there were a few former Luftwaffe fliers working there. They were all great guys and their jobs were taking care of ground vehicles, snow plows, mowers, etc. and the crews that manned them. They worked hard but there were always some "coldies" in the barrel in the barn (long since gone) to which we could help ourselves when things were slow.

As POWs they were in a camp down River Road in Des Plaines. I was kind of astounded listening to their stories. They could actually leave the camp and have day jobs in the community! I guess because they had been officers they were considered low risk? So they just stayed when the war ended.

Their boss was Esther Noffke who flew bombers from the factories across the Atlantic. She took no crap from anybody! But they all got along. For that group their shared WWII experiences were a bond, it didn't matter which side you had been on to them.

Thanks for making me remember that. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailyherald/obituary.aspx?n=esther-emma-rose-noffke&pid=165586931&fhid=18925