Henry Renard, a West Bend, Wisconsin native, discusses his experiences during World War II as a pilot with the 773rd Squadron, 463rd Bomb Group, 15th Air Force and as a prisoner of war in Germany. Renard describes growing up on a small farm in Washington County during the Great Depression and graduating from West Bend High School. He worked at a cheese factory from 1939 to 1942, shipping cheese boxes to forces overseas. Renard reveals his uncle, who worked for the draft board, offered to get him a job at a dairy farm to avoid the draft, but Renard declined. Renard enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1942. He had an early interest in flying: as a kid, he built model airplanes with motors, and he once rode in a propeller plane at the newly dedicated West Bend Airport. Renard describes the demanding written and physical tests required to join the Army Air Force. Renard qualified to be a pilot and was sent to San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center (Texas) for basic training. He details his training, stating "It was a class system. First four weeks you were lower class." He mentions he was nicknamed "Mother Renard" in his barracks because he made the soldiers keep the barracks clean to earn extra leave in town. Next, Renard attended officer training and pilot pre-flight training at El Reno (Oklahoma), followed by basic flying school in Winfield (Kansas). Renard characterizes flying school as difficult, with many airmen "washing out." He feels his first instructor was not good because he rushed Renard during take-off, nearly causing him to crash. Renard explains that, with the help of a second instructor, he finally graduated basic flying school and moved on to twin engine aircraft. In November 1943, Renard earned his second lieutenant commission and went on to fly B-26s at Dodge City (Kansas). Renard describes flying maneuvers like chandelles and lazy-8s. He characterizes his fellow pilots as mostly college graduates; however, his class had thirteen pilots who never went to college, including Renard himself. He briefly mentions a dark day during training in which thirteen training accidents occurred after lunch. Renard discusses flying various airplanes including: PT Ryans, Cessna AT-28s, P-38s, and B-26 Marauders. He praises the B-26 highly compared to the B-17 and B-29, despite the fact that it was nicknamed The Ship That Didn't Forgive, The Flying Coffin, and The Widow-maker. In Dodge City, Renard comments that he trained with twenty to thirty WASPs (Women Air Force Service Pilots) who banked airplanes 90 degrees, better than the men. Before Renard entered active duty in 1943, he was given a six day leave to go home to Wisconsin. He reveals he briefly considered going AWOL during hunting season. As his training drew to a close, Renard was assigned as co-pilot to a crew in Rapid City (South Dakota). They ran drills and towed targets for other airplanes to practice shooting. He describes flying to his pilot's hometown in California on Christmas Eve and drag racing with a Corsair. In August 1944, before being shipped to Europe, Renard was given another six day leave. He tells how he attempted to marry his girlfriend during this leave but failed because of miscommunication (she had gone out of town that weekend). In September 1944, Renard flew to England in a B-17, passing through Labrador (Canada), Iceland, and Wales. Renard mentions they stayed in England for several weeks before being stationed in Foggia (Italy). Renard touches on the personalities of the crew. He portrays his pilot and navigator as having problems trusting each other. He also mentions the pilot, originally from Mexico, could speak some Italian. Renard states they received double mission credit because their missions were over ten hours each. Renard describes typical bombing missions. Targets included oil refineries and ball bearing plants in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and France. He comments that the crew wore sheepskin and leather flying suits and slippers wired like electric blankets because temperatures were so cold in the air. Renard addresses military life: sleeping in tents, eating bad mess hall food, and hitchhiking to the PX in Foggia. During missions, the crew had C-rations, but they often did not eat because of the altitude. Renard mentions he and the navigator had donut-eating contests when they arrived back on base. Renard describes at length his mission over the Czech Sudentenland on Christmas Day. Before the mission, he inspected the airplane and found an oil leak that he ordered patched. While bombing a refinery near Brüx (Czechoslovakia), they were hit by enemy fire right at that weak spot. He portrays the pilot as cowardly, evacuating the airplane before everyone else. Renard tells how his quick thinking convinced the scared bombardier to bail out. Renard parachuted to the ground but got caught in a pine tree. The parachute opened violently; Renard suffered from lifelong back pain as a result and earned a Purple Heart. Renard cut himself down from the tree and walked through woods and snow behind enemy lines. He outlines the contents of his Army-issued survival kit. Renard took to the road to avoid frostbite, but came across a group of children sleighing. He was caught by their father, a Nazi sympathizer. Renard was taken to an interrogation center outside Frankfurt (Germany) where he discovered five of his crew had survived. He remembers his interrogation sessions in detail, stating he was never physically abused but that he was not cooperative. When the Germans pressed for details about his mission and the number of men in his crew; he gave them only his name, rank, serial number, and home address. Renard also claims a German guard thought he was Gestapo because Renard spoke fluent German. (His grandfather emigrated from Germany, and his parents spoke German at home.) His language skills made Renard the official trader for the barracks once he was taken to Stalag Luft One, near the Baltic Sea. Renard describes trading with a German guard for fish, wine, cigarettes, and fuel. He states the guard had his dog deliver the items in its mouth through a window. Renard describes the hardships of being a prisoner of war. The POWs filled burlap sacks with shredded paper for mattresses, which got matted down and shed on the men in the lower bunks. There were two or more men to a bunk, especially on cold nights. Renard was also the cook for his room. He discusses in great detail cooking with an oil drum stove and pans crafted out of bent tin cans. He spends much time talking about food. At first, POWs received Red Cross packages with cheese, jelly, and Spam, but as the war turned sour for the Germans, the POWs stopped getting these packages. Renard describes eating cold stewed vegetables and ersatz, a bread substitute that was soggy and bitter unless toasted. His proudest kitchen moments include making bread pudding out of ersatz bread and powdered milk and helping POWs in another barrack make a layer cake with pink jelly frosting and an American flag. Renard portrays the Germans as very suspicious of one another near the end of the war. He mentions he considered escaping using a method a fellow POW had used to escape from Buchenwald. Renard describes the liberation of Stalag Luft One shortly after V-E day. The Germans packed up all they could, including tower guns, lights, and most of the Red Cross packages, and left camp before the Russians arrived. After the Germans left, the Americans manned the watchtowers but stayed in camp because of rumors of disease among French and Italian prisoners in another camp nearby. Later that day, the Russians arrived to liberate Stalag Luft One; however, they delayed releasing the POWs. Renard characterizes the POWs as worried, revealing his own plans to desert camp. He claims the Russians were planning to march the Americans back to Russia, but the ranking officer among the POWs, Colonel Zemke, wired General Eisenhower, who contacted the U.S. Embassy in Russia with a message intended directly for Stalin. According to Renard, this message stated the American POWs were to be released immediately. Renard describes waiting all night by a bonfire for the airplanes to arrive from England. On May 13, 1945, he was flown to France where he had physical examinations and briefings. He mentions encountering General Eisenhower and almost shaking hands with him, but another airman beat him to it. Finally, Renard was shipped back to the U.S. from Le Havre (France) on a boat with 3,000 enlisted men and 300 officers. On the boat, Renard mentions he was asked to be the officer in charge of the galley because of his cooking experience in the camp. He describes getting seasick but appreciating the "plush" conditions after his experience as a POW. Renard describes his homecoming via Camp Miles Standish (Massachusetts) and Fort Sheridan (Illinois). He tells of marrying his first wife on July 2nd, soon after he got home. Renard was stationed in Miami Beach (Florida) until his release from the service in September 1945. After the war, Renard attended the University of Wisconsin on the G.I. Bill, getting a B.A. in five semesters and going on to law school. Renard describes living with his wife in the UW trailer camp for G.I.s. He states he was an active member of the American Legion, serving as finance officer, program chairman, county commander, state commander, and National Executive Committeeman representing Wisconsin at the national meeting. Renard discusses in detail the politics of the Legion and mentions meeting John Moses, the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. Renard describes falling off a ladder in 1975 in Oshkosh (Wisconsin) while putting up a banner for his NEC reelection, breaking both wrists and his jaw. This accident caused Renard to lose the election, but he remained active in local and state American Legion posts.
