Q&A with Frank Ryals

Residence: Warner Robins

Occupation: Retired civil service, World War II veteran

Q: When did you enter the military?

A: September 1943. I went in the Army, served the 79th Infantry Division. I was 18.

Q: Where are you originally from?

A: Right here. I'm a Houston County native born June 1, 1925.

Q: There aren't many 90-year-olds from here their whole lives. Just where were you raised?

A: Our old home place was near Russell Parkway and South Houston Lake Road.

Q: What were you doing before the Army?

A: I went to work on Robins Air Force Base in 1942. I worked in the packaging department on the midnight shift. I went there 11 months before I went in the service. I graduated at 17 and knew I was going in at 18.

Q: So you've seen big changes in Warner Robins and the base.

A: I returned to the base after the war. From packaging I moved into materiel supplies and management and retired in 1986 as deputy division chief for the F-15. I couldn't have asked for a better career.

Q: Where did you serve in World War II?

A: I went to England in April 1944 getting ready for the June 6 invasion of France. I was a medic. My outfit went to France June 13 but I was left in England to close camp. I rejoined them in July in the Sainte-Mere-Eglise area. We were an intelligence reconnaissance platoon and stayed near the front lines--or in front of them. We encountered a tremendous amount of artillery and mortar fire as we went. There are lots of stories.

A: Such as?

Q: Well, one that's kind of humorous, we were in a house with a shed where we parked our jeep. A shell hit right in the driver's seat and destroyed the jeep--but we knew we could get another jeep. My problem was my sister had sent me a pecan roll from Stuckey's down in Eastman and it blew up in the jeep. I thought, "Hey, that's taking things a little too far."

Q: But not everything was so lighthearted, was it?

A: No. Like once our lead jeep rolling over a landmine killing our sergeant and a French liaison we had. Others were hurt.

Q: But wasn't there an encounter that dramatically affected you?

A: We were in a battle right at the end of the Battle of the Bulge, they called ours the Little Battle of the Bulge. We were down to about 50 percent strength because so many had been called away to the larger battle. The Germans attacked at 6 in the evening with an hour-long artillery barrage and completely surround the town. They drove a tank right in the front door at that house I was in. We were taken prisoner and marched several hours to the Rhine River, hands over our heads. It was extremely cold; I heard 20 below but I don't know. We didn't have insulated gear like they do now. The next four days we marched into Germany; no food or water.

Q: Where did you end up?

A: I was at several camps but spent most of the time being moved around. We were in a box car once being shipped to Nuremberg with no food or water. Most were sick with diarrhea. I was threatened to be shot twice in the course of things. Once on a march when a buddy and I were so tired and hungry we couldn't go on. We kept hanging back and hanging back. They threatened us and fired a rifle at us. We decided we'd better go on. Another time in Hammelburg, we unloaded a train and came to a machine gun. We refused to unload it because we didn't have to participate in anything that was part of their war effort--it. That was against the Geneva Convention. They pulled their weapons and there was a stand-off for 10 minutes. We refused and won out. I was captured Jan. 19 and liberated April 29.

Q: After the war you returned to Warner Robins, right?

A: Yes.

Q: And got involved in quite a bit of community service, didn't you? Enough to be one of the first Warner Robins Hall of Fame inductees.

A: I was involved in some things. I taught Sunday school at Central Baptist and was executive director of the Special Olympics Summer Games when they were here. Some said I started Happy Hour Services Center but that's not the case. I joined after it started but was fortunate to be on the board and serve as president, vice president and in various positions. I had a wonderful experience with Happy Hour and never considered it work, just a joy to help such great people on the board and the staff. I'm so proud of them and our community for its support.

Answers may have been edited for length and clarity. Compiled by Michael W. Pannell. Contact him at mwpannell@gmail.com.

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 10:57 PM with the headline "Q&A with Frank Ryals ."