Anton Hilberath

Anton Hilberath (* 19. November 1898 in Bad Neuenahr; † 21. April 1946 nahe Washington, D.C.) war Oberfeldwebel der Wehrmacht, und ist einer von mindesten 830 deutschen Kriegsgefangen des 2. Weltkriegs, die in den Vereinigten Staaten verstarben und dort begraben sind. Er ist der einzige verstorbene deutsche Kriegsgefangene, dessen Grab sich auf dem Nationalfriedhof Arlington befindet. Der Hintergrund wird in dem Buch In honored glory: Arlington National Cemetery, the final post, Arlington, Va.: Vandamere Press, 1990, p.80 erklärt (fair use Zitat): During the war, the United States initiated a limited policy of transporting captured German and Italian soldiers to various states to assist American farmers with harvesting crops. On the eastern shore of Maryland, several farms used this much needed labor resource. Three prisoners, however, died from illness during this period and, in accordance with provisions of the Geneva Convention, were provided with appropriate military funerals in a nearby government cemetery. Arlington, the closest national cemetery to Maryland's eastern shore, received the remains of the two Italians [Arcangelo Prudenza and Mario Batista] and one German [Anton Hilberath] prisoner of war, all of whom were interred in Section 15C. Each year, on All Souls' Day, November 2nd, members of the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC continue to practice the Catholic custom of visiting the graves of the departed and come to Arlington to decorate the simple graves of the two Italian soldiers."

Was es da allerdings gegen Ende des Winters 1945/46 zu ernten gab, wird leider nicht erklärt (Eisblumen?)...

Einzelnachweise

😃 Profil: Hilberath, Anton
Beruf	deutscher Oberfeldwebel der Wehrmacht und Kriegsgefangener
Persönliche Daten
Geburtsdatum	19. November 1898
Geburtsort	Bad Neuenahr
Sterbedatum	21. April 1946
Sterbeort	Washington/D.C.