Montville Veteran Recounts Prison Camp Experience

World War II veteran Hjalmar Johansson of Montville spoke at a Memorial Day ceremony on Friday in Morristown, and MorristownGreen.com posted video of his speech.

The airman described parachuting out of his plane after it was shot over Austria, enduring solitary confinement and surviving prison camp as his weight dropped to 110 pounds, and his overall chances of surviving the war that killed 292,000 Americans.

For one mission, 31 airplanes from his bomb group were sent. Fifteen reached their target. Nine were shot down.

"In the barracks or in the tents, there were 90 empty bunks that night on that one raid alone," he said. "So you get a little bit of a feeling what freedom's all about and what it costs."

Interrogation was difficult.

"If you've ever been in solitary confinement, you never want to go back there again," he said.

Montville VFW Post 5481 is scheduled to hold its Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday.