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Members of the American Ex-Prisoners of War’s Greater Greensboro chapter once were young warriors, defending our country against the enemy.

Now, in their mid-80s or older, they gather with loved ones each month to share a meal, memories and to support each other.

The club had about 100 members when it was formed in 1978. Because of sickness and death, membership has dwindled to about 30. Many members were World War II-era POWs. Their wives, sisters, brothers and children also are eligible for membership.

Widows of ex-POWs are very active in the group, and several serve as officers.

Members of the group bring to life the sacrifices of the war years as they tell stories about what happened to them and their loved ones held as POWs.

The man Emily Boswell would marry after the World War II, B-17 pilot David Boswell (deceased), was shot down Oct. 8, 1943, during a raid on Bremen shipyards in northern Germany.

That was his first mission. He spent the remainder of the war in German POW camps.

Emily Boswell’s brother, Maj. John Carter (deceased) also was a B-17 pilot. He and David Boswell knew each other and were together in cadet training. Carter was shot down a day before Boswell, and both were prisoners in Stalag 3. They did not see each other in the years they were held prisoner.

At home, Emily and her mother read in the paper that many B-17s had been shot down over Germany.

“We don’t have to worry about John and David,” Emily said to her mother. “They haven’t been there long enough to be in combat.”
A month later they learned that both men had been captured.

After the war, David Boswell came home to marry Emily, whom he thought of as a child when he entered the service, but found her a lovely young woman of 19 upon his return home.

Virginia Cudworth’s husband, Jim Cudworth (deceased), signed up for the U. S. Army Air Corps in 1943 “because he thought it was the right thing to do.” He was a lieutenant and served with the 8th Air Force. He was shot down and captured on his tenth mission and held in Stalag 3. Because he was an officer, he was kept in a separate prison camp from the enlisted men.

Raymond Hampton was drafted in 1943. He served in the 1st Infantry Division in Germany and was captured on Nov. 29, 1943. He was held in several POW camps and finally was released May 1945. His wife, Elsie, wrote many letters to him, but he did not receive any of her letters the entire time he was held prisoner.

Pete Huffman Sr. was captured in the Philippines on May 6, 1942, and forced to work in North and South Korea as well as in China. He was liberated by Russian troops in 1945, but remained in the Army until he retired with more than 21 years in the service.

Bob Bailey was a POW of the Vietnam War. A pilot, he was shot down over Laos.

Virginia and Jim Cudworth were instrumental in starting the Greensboro chapter. In 1978, they attended an inspirational meeting in Raleigh in which national officers were trying to start chapters in North Carolina. The national director, Elmer Long, asked Cudworth if he and his wife would start a local chapter.

The couple placed a message in the Greensboro Daily News on May 11, 1978, and later met at a restaurant with local POWs interested in joining them. Twenty-one people became charter members at the meeting. The group officially was chartered on May 18, 1978.

The following officers were elected: commander, William Tippett; vice commander, Frank DeLong; adjutant treasurer, Virginia Cudworth; chaplain, Amy Loman; and Sgt. at Arms, Carol Loman. Board of directors were: Jim Cudworth, Pete Huffman, George Capps and Richard Hackworth.

At one time, the Greater Greensboro chapter was the largest Ex-Prisoner of War chapter in North Carolina, and state conventions were held here many times, Virginia Cudworth said.

“We have met so many wonderful friends over the years, and we are a very close group who gives support to each other,” she said.

American Ex-Prisoners of War was established April 14, 1942, and is a nonprofit congressionally chartered veterans service organization. It has been reported that every year a man or woman spends as a POW takes four years away from their life span.

To these patriotic men and women who served as POWs and those who stood by them as loved ones, we thank you for your sacrifices and your patriotic duty to our country.

To suggest a person or organization who is “Making a Difference” in Guilford County, contact Peggy Longmire at rlongmire@triad.rr.com or 288-9040