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27
EUGENE SWARTZ
1923: born in Washington D.C. (USA)
1925: emigration of the Swartz family to Luxembourg
1940: escape via Portugal to the USA
1943: joins the US Army as intelligence officer because of his knowledge of German and French
1944: landing in Normandy (F), interrogation of German prisoners of war
1945: participation in the hunt for war criminals
Eugene Swartz died in Knoxville Tennessee (USA) on 17 July 2010 at the age of 86. He is buried in the Tennessee Veterans Cemetery.
Work
Eugene Swartz joined the US Army in 1943 to liberate Europe and his family in Kayl (L) from the Germans. He had fled from Luxembourg to the US with his father in 1940, but had to leave his Luxembourg family behind. In 1944 he landed in Normandy and took part in the fighting. His tasks included the interrogation of German prisoners of war and translation work. He was finally reunited with his family in Kayl at the end of 1944. Towards the end of the war, Eugene Swartz took part in the search for war criminals.
An American helmet like the one worn by Eugene during the liberation of Luxembourg
I was trying to get America into the war. I tried to do  –  because I wanted to rescue my family […] I joined the Reserves, [..] I was
not drafted yet. But, I was so intent on getting back to Europe to see my family again, I was afraid they might put me into the Air Force or the Navy, and I would never get back to Europe. So, I wanted to make sure that I would get into the Army because I knew the Army would go back.
Eugene Swartz, contemporary witness interview, 18 Apr. 2005
Our house was still there. I knocked on the door. First grandmother, then mother came up to me. They did not recognize me. [...] But the next moment we fell into each other's arms. [...] I was the only American soldier who was home for Christmas.
Eugene Swartz, Memoirs, date unknown
After the liberation of Kayl, Eugene Swartz immediately went looking for his family to see how they were doing, Kayl 1944
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