At 102, World War II veteran and former POW Walter Ram continues to preserve the history he helped shape.

At 102, WWII POW Walter Ram Is Still Sharing His Story

Sometimes history suddenly feels very close.

Recently, 102-year-old World War II veteran and former prisoner of war Walter Ram received copies of both my books, Man of Confidence and Finding Bomb Boogie, at the 390th Memorial Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

Walter has a remarkable connection to both stories.

During World War II, Walter was a prisoner at Stalag 17-B in Austria, where he knew Kenneth “Kurt” Kurtenbach, the subject of Man of Confidence. Kurt was elected Man of Confidence—the official American POW representative—and represented more than 4,000 American airmen held there for approximately eighteen months.

Walter also lived in the same POW barracks as my father, whose wartime experiences inspired my first book, Finding Bomb Boogie.

More than eighty years later, Walter continues to help preserve this history by volunteering almost every Monday at the 390th Memorial Museum, located on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. The museum preserves the history of the 390th Bomb Group and the men who flew and supported its B-17 Flying Fortresses during World War II.

Seeing Walter holding these two books was especially meaningful to me. They tell two distinct stories, yet they are linked by Stalag 17-B—and by the young men who endured captivity there.

Walter has also written his own remarkable story, HELNO-GAL: A Survivor’s Story of World War II and the Infamous Stalag 17, published in 2021. His firsthand account is another important contribution to preserving the experiences of the men who endured the air war and captivity.

At 102, Walter is still telling that story.

Watch Walter receive Man of Confidence at the 390th Memorial Museum:

Watch the video on YouTube: 102-Year-Old WWII POW Walter Ram Receives Man of Confidence

Thank you, Walter, for your service—and for continuing to share your story so it will not be forgotten.