Every Memorial Day, we pause to honor those who gave everything for our freedom. But behind the parades and ceremonies are real stories—stories of ordinary people who endured the unimaginable. Today, I want to share one such story: the journey of Lester Schrenk, a World War II veteran whose endurance and sacrifice remind us of the values we hold dear.
Lester Schrenk was just 19 when he left his Minnesota farm to serve as a B-17 ball turret gunner. In 1944, his plane was shot down over Denmark. Captured by German soldiers, Lester was sent to Stalag Luft IV, a POW camp in Poland. There, he faced starvation, brutal conditions, and the constant threat of violence.
But the true test came in early 1945. As the Soviet army advanced, Lester and thousands of other prisoners were forced on an 800-mile death march across the frozen landscape of Europe. “They shackled us and gave us each a Red Cross parcel to hold under our arms, then started chasing us down the road with dogs and bayonets,” Lester later recalled. Many men collapsed from exhaustion, exposure, or violence. “We saw death every day,” he said. By the time liberation came, Lester weighed just 93 pounds—but he survived, holding on to hope and the promise he’d made to his mother to come home.
Lester’s story is not just about survival—it’s about selflessness. Even amid suffering, he looked out for others, sharing what little he had and offering encouragement. His journey is a vivid example of the kind of sacrifice that defines our veterans and service members.
As we remember Lester and countless others who endured so much, we’re reminded that the greatest acts of love often come through sacrifice. For Christians, this echoes the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, who laid down His life so that we might live. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
This Memorial Day, let’s do more than remember. Let’s honor the legacy of heroes like Lester Schrenk by living lives of service, gratitude, and selfless love—for our families, our communities, and our world.
Ryan Rice
References:
Biggio, Andrew. The Rifle: Combat Stories from America’s Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand . Regnery History, 2021.
“Morning Wire: The Last of the Greatest: Stories from WWII Veterans,” Daily Wire, May 26, 2025. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336?i=1000709877570&r=2
“Stalag Luft IV,” National WWII Museum, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/stalag-luft-iv-black-march Biggio, Andrew. The Rifle, Chapter 12: “Lester