 |
 [A
1975 newspaper article included this photo captioned "140-170-120
referencing Merlin's weight fluctuations, as described in the story]
Well relaxed and far away from
Stalag 4B, Martin J. Tindal of the Hog Kill can afford to take it easy
now. A member of the 82nd Airborne that went into France on D-Day, he
was captured by the Germans. From June 6th, 1944, to May 8th 1945, he
was a prisoner. He remembers vividly his group of prisoners of war being
stoned by people in Paris. He could tell at the time that they
were being forced to do so by German S.S. Troops
In prison he worked 72
hours a week, at first at odd jobs like filling bomb craters, but for the
last six months in a saw mill. When Merlin joined up with the Army he
weighed 140 pounds, when he went into France that day he weighed 170,
and when he came out of prison he scaled at 140. Rutabagas were
the main prison bill-of-fare; meat was a tea-cup-sized amount in a week;
two slices of dark bread ere allowed every other day and 4 potatoes on
the alternate days.
He remembers well the Christmas party in prison; a good
time, and the day he got two Red Cross boxes at once.
Merlin is back on his old job. He is the son of
Sam Tindal of the Fresh [Sausage] elevator.
[Jumpmaster Note: Merlin wrote at the bottom: "I worked
for Hormel 41 1/2 years." Hormel is a meat-packing company, well
known for its canned ham and other related products. That may explain
the reference in the article to "Hog Kill", an early stage of the
processing cycle. It also helps to understand his father's role at
the "Fresh Sausage elevator." The article may have come from an
employee newsletter where these references were commonly used
terminology.] |
