Three Home Boys Are Reported Safe

[genealogynut]

Taken from The Howard Courant-Citizen
Thursday, May  24, 1945
(World War II news item)

Carl Criger, Kenneth Wisner, and Don Nicholson Are All Released as Prisoners of War


There was great rejoicing in this community the past week as three local boys who had been prisoners of war of Germany were released and the home folks were notified that they could be expected home soon.

Last Friday afternoon, Mrs. Carl Criger and Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Criger received a message that their husband and son,  Sgt. Carl Criger, who was a tail gunner with the Army Air Forces based in England. and who had been a prisoner in Germany since last May, was released and returned to the American Forces.  No word had been heard from him since last December until this message came.  His wife, Mrs. Betty McClure Criger, and their small son, Pat, have been at Bellflower, California, for some months with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles McClure, and arrived in Howard in time to receive the message.

The same day, Mrs. Kenneth Wisner, who with her daughter have been living at Scammon, received a cablegram from her husband, Lt Kenneth Wisner, reporting that he was freed and would be home soon.  Kenneth's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie B. Wisner, who are now living at Wichita, phoned Leslie's mother, Mrs. B.M. Wisner, as soon as they received the good news. Kenneth was flying from a base in Italy and was reported shot down over Austria on September 10.  He had completed his 27th mission before taking this final trip, and it was some time before word came that he was a prisoner in German hands.

Monday night, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Nicholson of south of Howard received word that their son, Lt. Don E. Nicholson had been liberated and hoped to be home real soon. Don was flying as a navigator on a Fortress with the Eighth Army Air Forces from an English base and had made a number of successful missions before being captured.

To say that the home folks are rejoicing over this good news about three of our fine young men is puttin git mildly, and all hope that they will soon arrive at their homes where they will receive a royal welcome.