屠殺戰俘

On 17 December 1944, a German SS Panzer Division encountered, near the town of Malmedy, Belgium, a small company of American soldiers. Armed with only rifles and other small arms, the Americans surrendered to the Nazi tank force. After being searched and relieved of weapons, the American prisoners were quickly marched into a field.

One of the few to survive, Bill Merriken said,"We stood there, hands over head. And then there was a German officer and he picked out a guy I knew. He pulled his pistol up and shot him. And I saw him fall. Then that is when machine guns started."

Eighty-six American prisoners of war were massacred at Malmedy that day. Merriken, who had three bullet wounds, two in his back and one in the back of his knee, hid under the bodies of his dead comrades for hours before he was able to make good his escape.

一九四四年十二月十七日，德國納粹黨 衞軍一個裝甲師在比利時馬爾梅蒂鎮附近，遇到一小連美軍。美軍只有來福槍和其他小型武器，唯有向納粹的坦克部隊投降。他們經搜身和解除武裝之後，馬上被帶到一片原野上。

比爾．梅里肯是少數逃過一死的戰俘之一。他說：「我們站在那裏，雙手舉到頭上。一個德國軍官挑出我認識的一人，拔出手槍，把他槍殺。我看着他倒下去。然後機關槍開始掃射。」

那天，八十六個美軍戰俘在馬爾梅蒂鎮被屠殺。梅里肯中了三槍，兩槍打在背上，一槍打在膝蓋之後。他躲在同袍的屍體下，過了幾小時，才能夠逃脫。

（古德明）