The Long Way Home

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this story and the OC characters it contains. This is a labor of love and not meant for profit.

Caution: I am starting off giving this story a T rating but it may change to an M due to graphic non sexual imagery. I am attempting to stay as close to historical fact as possible and the truth is often unpleasant and disturbing. There will be bad language, deaths, violence and sexual situations. This is not for the timid. I will not be putting any warnings at the beginning of any chapters. This is your warning. At anytime if someone thinks I have crossed the line into a higher rating, please let me know. Please R & R.

Summary: The war has ended but for some of the veterans of WWII, the war continues. Peace is an adjustment that is often difficult for those who have experienced so much. Finding ones self again, let alone one's home, can often be a difficult and painful process. This is a Langenscheidt centric story, focusing on him and is told mainly from his own POV.

Chapter 1: Rheinwiessenlager (1)

June 1, 1945

It started to rain again. The drops were coming down hard, stinging his face and making it hard to see. Karl pulled his coat tighter around him in a futile effort to stay dry. The mud was seeping into his boots soaking his already damp socks. He instinctively looked around for some sort of cover. Having been through this numerous times before he knew there was no shelter to be found. The water had begun to run down the back of his neck, making him much more miserable. Closing his eyes he tipped back his head in an attempt to catch a few raindrops for his parched throat. The basic necessities, food, water, shelter and medicine, were lacking in this place. Even basic hygiene was lacking. The rain was their showers and open trenches their toilet. He knew if he slept any tonight, it would be in the open air, lying in the mud. This was a place for the damned and forgotten.

In his more rational times, he understood that the Allies had been overwhelmed with the amount of men surrendering in the last months of the war. They were over burdened and ill prepared to care for a defeated army. He realized many were just reacting to the horrors of Nazi brutality. Karl understood this but shivering in the cold rain he felt only anger and humiliation. Hadn't he helped the Allies? Where were Colonel Hogan and his promises?

His belly ached with hunger and he looked around for some grass to eat. It didn't have any nutritional value but it would help ease the pains of hunger. Instead he found an endless supply of mud. Looking out past the wire he tried to remember better times. Burying himself in his memories was the only way to leave this horrid place, even if it was only for a few minutes.

He remembered her, red hair, fierily temper and stubborn pride; her soft warm hands, kind heart and gentle eyes. He had every moment with her etched into his memory. That last day with her was heaven, the last day he was truly alive. Trembling with the emotions his memories invoked, he thought back to that day.

HHHHHH

April 6, 1945 (2)

Sitting on the steps of the infirmary, he could hear the windows rattle from the artillery fire in the distance. Just a few more hours and the camp would be liberated. Langenscheidt watched as Obersts Klink and Hogan lowered the Nazi flag and raised a white one. The air was thick with anticipation and smoke from the machines of war. All the guards were now unarmed. Some of the guards were smiling anticipating going home to their families, while others wept openly at the state of their beloved country. The POWs were yelling and slapping each other on the backs. There were a number of guards and prisoners standing by the gates waiting to see the first tank come up the road. Looking up at the guard towers, Langenscheidt saw they were empty. He thought they looked sad, like imaginary giants left forgotten and alone as children grew older and found other playmates. The Obersts thought it too dangerous to man them with the armies so close.

He was amazed they all came through the winter. Food and medicine had been almost non existent. Even the POWs Red Cross packages had stopped. Somehow, the Obersts were able to work together for the benefit of both sides. By working together they ensured that no one had more than the other. As a result of this cooperation, very few had died.

Turning to the lady sitting next to him whose hand he was clasping he smiled and gently brushed the hair from her face.

"Have you picked out a color yet?" he asked.

"Color for what?" she answered perplexed at the question.

"The color of the dress you will marry me in." he said playfully.

"I don't remember you asking me to marry you." she replied with a hint of laughter in her voice.

Laughing softly he said, "You don't? It was just five seconds ago."

Raising an eyebrow at him she cocked her head to the side and smiled. "That was your idea of popping the question?"

He leaned closer to her and said, "Since I did not hear a no you must have said yes."

Shaking her head she began to laugh. "If I didn't love you madly, I'd have to smack you. The answer you're looking for is sea green."

Karl smiled as he pulled her close and gently kissed her. "The Allies will be here soon and we will be separated. In my heart I will always be with you." he said as his fingers caressed her cheek.

Leaning forward and resting her head on his shoulder Versie gave a soft sigh. "Does Colonel Hogan know how long you and the others will have to stay in the POW camp?"

"Nein Liebling, the Geneva Convention says they have nine months after a cessation of hostilities for any imprisoned POWs to be returned to their homeland. So it could take up to a year before I see you again." Karl said, lifting her hand to his lips.

"I will find out where you are going and request a transfer to the closest available medical unit."

Karl smiled. 'That may not be possible. You may end up in London or back in America. I will write your parents so they can let you know where I am."

"In a way I want to be as far as possible from this place and at the same time, I don't want to leave. It's silly, I know." she said looking up at him and clutching at the cuff of his uniform with her free hand.

Putting his arm around her waist he said "I love you best when you are being silly." His heart beat wildly with anxiety as he thought about being separated for so long from her. A huge BOOM shook the building's foundations and Versie gave a startled cry as she moved closer to him. He knew the end was near. He tried to block out the uncertainty with the feeling of how wonderful she felt sitting there in his arms.

"Ok you two, time to break this up." Hogan's voice said over the roar of the approaching armies.

Pulling away from her was the hardest thing he had ever done. He wanted to hold her forever but knew their time together at Stalag 13 had come to an end.

"Obersts," Langenscheidt said, looking up to acknowledge Hogan and Klink's presence.

"It's time for everyone to be restricted to their barracks Langenscheidt, you too Lieutenant. It's getting too dangerous for anyone to be outside now." Hogan said as he and Klink turned and walked to the main gate to await the approaching army.

Karl stood up, pulling her up with him. Giving her a kiss on her cheek, he turned and walked towards his barracks. I will be with her and Ilsa soon. I just need to have patience, he told himself. If only he had known then what was going to happen, he would have immediately grabbed Versie and ran away.

April 8, 1945

The trucks rumbled along the road, each crowded with eight guards from the camp and the four men who now guarded them. The air was still thick with the acidic smoke from the battle that ended two days ago, burning Karl's eyes and throat. Looking around at the men who sat with him he could see confusion, loss and uncertainty reflected in their eyes. Men, he thought to himself. Some of these men were as young as ten and as old as eighty. In the last days, Hitler demanded every male fourteen or older who as capable of carrying a weapon, join the Wehrmacht. Many of the Hitler Youths as young as ten were pressed into service.

When they crossed the Rhine, he could see the temporary camp the Allies had set up near Bad Kreuznach. As the trucks approached the camp he could smell the waste and despair of the 50,000 men being held there. The trucks pulled up to a set of buildings on the outside of the wire enclosure. Lined up by rank, they waited to be processed.

Karl entered the building and found the room full of desks and soldiers, each one processing a new German POW. He was shoved down into a chair that was facing a desk. Behind the desk sat a young American private who looked somewhere between eighteen and twenty to Karl.

"You speak English?" the private barked.

"Yes." Karl said smiling at the young man. The man did not smile back. In fact his scowl deepened. This caused Karl to be somewhat uneasy as he was used to the polite and friendly Americans back at Stalag 13.

"Good, then I don't have to try and do this using that damn gibberish you guys speak." The man growled as he pawed through some papers in front of him.

Karl shifted in his chair unsure of how to react to the hostility radiating from the private. Using one of his patented goofy smiles he often used to let new prisoners know he was not a threat to them, Karl attempted to put the private at ease. The private just looked at Karl as if he had just caught him in bed with his wife. Karl's smile slowly faded from his face. It was now he realized he was in trouble.

"Name," barked the private.

"Karl Anton Langenscheidt," he replied. The man looked at Karl like he had little patience for the Feldwebel. Karl quickly told him how to spell his name and the questioning continued.

"Rank?" the private asked even though it was obvious by Karl's uniform his rank.

"Sergeant," he supplied

"Serial number"

"A46597," Karl said as he fidgeted more in his seat. The private stopped writing and gave Karl a sharp hard look. Karl made more of an attempt to sit still.

The private flipped open a file and perused it before looking up at Karl. "It says here you were a guard at Stalag 13."

"Yes," replied Karl attempting to be as cooperative as he possibly could.

"It also says here that prior to being stationed at the POW camp you were with the 7th Flieger Division."

"Yes, I was in two battles in Greece but got hurt in the second one and sent to Camp 13." Karl said attempting to smile again.

"Are you some kind of retard or do you have some sort crush on me? You wanna fuck me or something?" growled the private.

"Pardon?" he asked confused.

"Stop fucking smiling at me you queer son of a bitch!" the private said in a loud voice causing heads to turn their way.

Karl lowered his head in humiliation. Looking at his hands, he did not attempt to meet the young private's eyes again. The questioning continued with Karl answering them all in a subdued manner. When it was done, the private announced he was a category four (3). Karl didn't understand what that meant but wasn't going to ask the American. He was then told to turn over any items of value "for safe keeping." The private told him would be given everything he needed while in camp and therefore would not need the duffle bag he had packed. It too would be stored.

The American made a motion with his hand and two MPs came over and pulled Karl from the chair. The MPs were informed that Karl was a 'four' and to sure they took the necessary precautions with him. As the private called for the next man to be interview, Karl was lead away.

As they exited the back door, Karl was taken to one of the enclosures marked 'NUMBER 4.' Karl attempted to back up when he realized the enclosure was full of SS. The gate opened and Karl was shoved inside and fell to the ground. Before he could get up the gate was shut and locked. The man stationed on the outside of the gate told Karl there was only one camp rule. 'No escape.' If he wanted to fight, kill, steal or do any other activity with the men in his enclosure that was fine but there would be no escape.

Karl turned and looked at the ocean of men in front of him. There were no structures of any kind inside the wire fence. Men sat huddled in an open field, with a central trench for their waste. They eyed Karl with a hungry glare, recognizing someone weaker than themselves. Unsure of what to do next, Karl just stood there.

A tall blonde man got up and walked over to Karl. He grabbed Karl by the neck and leaned down. "There are two kinds of people here. The ones on top, they get first choice on all food and supplies. Then there are the ones on bottom who get the leftovers. Looking at you, I think you are a bottom feeder." This produced laughter from the nearby men. The man began punching Karl until he fell to the ground. Then the man began kicking him until Karl had no choice but to curl himself into a fetal position.

After a few minutes, the man had grown tired of the game and giving Karl a final kick, he said, "Yes just another bottom feeder." With that the man returned to his position by the gate, accompanied by the laughter of his friends.

Karl slowly uncurled himself and got to his feet. Not looking at the men, he staggered pass and prayed that Hogan would hurry and get him released as he had promised.

The Present

The rain had stopped and it was growing dark. He had not had anything to eat in three days and it looked like he wasn't going to eat again today. Karl began shuffled through the sea of bodies looking for a place to lie down. Finding a small place that was more of a mud puddle that a place to sleep, he lay down and hoped no one could see his tears.

(1) Rhine Meadow Camps had over 557,000 POWs interred from April – July 1945. Of the 19 Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosures (PTWE) Bretzenhiem, Sinzi,, Rheinberg, Heidesheim, Wickrathberg, and Buderich were the six camps with the highest mortality rate. In these camps approximately 5,000 of the 500,000 inmates died. Of the total one million prisoners held in all the camps, it is estimated that between 6,000 to 10,000 prisoners died due to salvation, dehydration and exposure. The prisoners upon entering these camps had to surrender their belongings and were forced to dig holes in the ground by hand so they could have somewhere to sleep. All the camps were over crowed. Some had as much as twice the amount of prisoners the camp was designed to handle. By the end of June the camps began closing. With the exception of Bretzenheim, which did not close until 1948, the last camps were closed in September 1945.

The POWs were reclassified as Disarmed Enemy Forces to get around having to uphold the Geneva Convention. Until fall of 1945, the Red Cross was denied access to the camps, by this time most of the camps had already closed. Supplies from the Red Cross and the German population were also denied. The German civilians were not allowed to give the prisoners food. If caught they were subject to being shot. It wasn't until February 4, 1946, when the Red Cross was finally allowed to start to send limited amounts of food and supplies.

(2) The day the real Stalag 13 was liberated by the Allies.

(3) German POWs were classified according to the threat level they represented. Category Ones were considered tame cooperative prisoners with little or no Nazi leanings. In theory, they would be released first. Categories two and three were considered average prisoners with moderate ties to the Nazi party. The Allies considered the SS and paratroopers to be hard core Nazis and treated them accordingly.