Pathways Hospice, Community Care for Northern Colorado
A World War II Veteran Remembers
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a ball-bearing plant. This plant was
well-protected, since ball-bearings
were an integral part of motors used
by the Germans, including the engines
for their planes. Earl’s plane was shot
down by German pilots. He recalls
that all but one of the crew survived;
the navigator’s parachute had been
damaged by the gun-fire and didn’t
open. After parachuting to the
ground, Earl was captured by German
soldiers and brought to a local jail.
“Oh, that was a terrifying night,” Earl
tells us, “I thought they were going
to kill me right then.” Instead, Earl
was put on a train and taken to a
prisoner of war camp, Stalag Luft 1, in
Barth, Germany. During the time Earl
was a prisoner of war (POW), he was
awarded the Air Medal for being shot
down while in service to his country.
At first, Earl’s family thought he was
missing in action, but eventually
received the information that he was
being held as a prisoner of war. When
asked how he and the others were
treated in the POW camp, Earl said,
“Fairly good, I’d say, for Germany,
because we were officers. Our
enlisted men came from a different
prison camp and they had it rougher.”
In May of 1945, Russians came to
Stalag Luft 1 to liberate the prisoners.
This was a frightening time, since
they were not sure if the Russians
would treat them well, or bomb the
camp thinking there were still German
soldiers there. Luckily, the American
Army Air Force came, loaded up the
POWs, and flew them to France.
There they were fed and given lots of
eggnog, so they could gain back some
of the weight they had lost over the
last 15 months. In September 1945,
Earl returned to the U.S. and was
treated to a stay at the Ritz Carlton.
At this time he was promoted to First
Lieutenant, honorably discharged, and
returned to his family.
Earl expressed his feelings about
being part of the war in Germany.
“Oh, man, you can’t believe the
torture they (the Germans) put on
people. That’s why I know we were
fighting a just war. I knew I was
doing the right thing. I couldn’t have
done it if I didn’t.” He became quiet
and thoughtful for a moment. “It
makes a whole difference in how you
feel about things.”
Gary brought out an album that Earl’s
mother had kept, telling the story of
Earl’s experience in the military. The
album included newspaper stories
about Earl’s capture and internment
in the camp. Earl held the album,
smiling with a look of amazement,
as he and Gary looked through it
together. “Oh, wow. Oh, wow. That
is sacred.” He thanked Gary for
helping him remember. “I’m glad to
see this. What a day this has been.
Beautiful. Beeee-ut-iful.”
All of us at Pathways Hospice thank
Earl Rathke for his bravery and
sacrifice. We appreciate Earl and
the other men and women who have
served our country, and will pay
special tribute to them every year on
Veterans Day.
Community Supporters Share Their Time and Talents
There are many ways individuals,
businesses and organizations use
their effort and resources to express
their “heart for hospice.” This helps
to provide others with end-of-life and
bereavement care when they need it
most. We recognize and are grateful
to all who have been so generous and
take this opportunity to highlight a
few recent supporters.
Since 2007 the Northern Colorado
Cares Golf Tournament has included
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Pathways Hospice as one of the
beneficiaries from the event. This
kindness is extended in memory of
Sharrie Olsen, who received care from
Pathways Hospice. These generous
contributions help us meet the needs
of others seeking end-of-life care.
Once in a Blue Moon Boutique & Art
Sale was held twice in 2011, once
in June and again in September. An
eclectic collection of fun and unusual
items, some vintage, some new were
offered for sale. The events were
hosted by Carole Egger; proceeds were
allocated between Pathways Hospice
and the Larimer Humane Society.
Project Linus, whose mission is to
make beautiful blankets to bring
comfort to any child facing a difficult
situation, has kindly chosen us as one
of their recipients. Our staff will share
the generosity of these talented
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