OneMansCourage

Who was my father?

This is a question that has haunted many a human being, particularly American
men.

The greatest gift a father can give to his son beyond his love is his legacy. When
a man asks, "Who am I, and how did I get here," what better foundation is there
than his father's story.

Most fathers and stories are plainly in view. I, however, had to search hard to
satisfy my husband Ed's longing for his father - and what I found in Hoboken,
New Jersey changed his life in the most surprising way possible.

His name was Donald W. Schuman.

The story I discovered ranges from long before Donald's birth in Brule County,
South Dakota, to his WWII Prisoner of War experiences, culminating in
extraordinary events late in his life that lead him to the discovery of a family he
had lost almost forty years earlier.

I uncovered a series a Western Union telegrams sent in late 1944 and early 1945
to Donald's parents, advising them that their son had been reported as missing in
action and shortly thereafter to notify them that their son has died in combat.
While the family grieved, Donald was still alive - fighting just to survive.

As a POW, Donald tried to escape many times but failed. Finally, his prison camp
was liberated by the 4th Armored Division. Once free, Donald returned to the
United States to a family that had thought him to be dead, and began a new life.

Almost forty years passed before my genealogical research accidentally
uncovered this extraordinary story and brought about a soul-healing reunion
between a father and his son.