Maurice Bonemeyer, 98, was captured at the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. He lives in Fargo.

Jackie Cox
During Jim Puppe’s 32 years of working at the Veterans Administration in Fargo, he learned a lot from fellow veterans. His assignment as coordinator for the American ex-prisoners of war was “personally life changing.”
What did he learn from the POWs?
“I learned that those who lost the most say the least… They are not complainers. They are proud of their service and appreciate …freedom, country, family, and friends.” One POW told his granddaughter, Jenna Carlisle, how he ate dandelions raw to survive. After liberation, he sailed into New York Harbor and a boat pulled alongside, with a band playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and girls dancing. “Seeing the Statue of Liberty was a wonderful sight.” Her grandpa said he was a survivor, but not a hero; those who died in war are the heroes. She replied, “Grandpa, you ARE a hero to me and everyone!”
“Their ability to survive was largely due to their hope and faith… the enemy did not totally destroy them… they came home knowing other surviving prisoners were with them. They came home with honor… they survived.” Their captors could take away everything except what they had on their mind, their attitude. “They looked not behind, but forward with hope.”
The POWs were proud of America. Those who died in war could not enjoy the freedoms they gave us. They could not return home to their loved ones, experience the chance to marry, watch a child take their first steps, play sports, watch a daughter go on her first date or walk her down the aisle. Those who died in war gave the American dream to us. As described in Flanders Fields, they threw the torch to us…we are to hold it high.”
“It’s a debt we cannot fully repay.”
The impact on families who have a loved one in captivity is indescribable. Dick Stratton, a naval pilot, was a POW for 6 ½ years. When his son was in the second grade, his teacher asked the class to draw three wishes. The POW’s son’s first drawing was his daddy throwing him in the air. The second was an empty bed. The third was his dad returning in a helicopter. At the bottom of each drawing he wrote, “I want my daddy to come home.” And later, his daddy safely came home!
He learned that we should show respect to everyone. Jim remembered a gentleman he had known since he was young. He thought there was nothing in this man’s life he didn’t know. When he died, he was surprised to learn that this man was in combat and sustained multiple shrapnel wounds during World War II. It was something he did not share… an “Unsung hero”.
A former Chief of Pharmacy at the VA Fargo, Harlan Screibe, a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, told his staff, “Never judge the veteran who comes to the window to pick up their prescription because you don’t know what they went through.”
The former POWs told stories of combat, capture, harsh living conditions, hunger, injuries, loneliness, torture, and disease in the prison camps. “Their heartfelt stories were nothing short of inspiring.”
Based upon what Jim learned from the POWs, after his retirement at the VA, he decided to learn from other “unsung heroes” living in small towns and as well as the large cities in North Dakota. This passion began his book. Puppe knew there was silence out there. He wanted to capture their stories and hear about resilience and their understanding of life. “Like someone said, we know more about the soil than the people of North Dakota.”
With the Official North Dakota road map as his guide, Jim set out to interview someone from each of the towns in North Dakota. Thus began 13 summers of driving (over 113,000 miles) and interviewing 617 people. Driving a van, a mattress in the back, loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter, thermos of coffee, digital recorder, and camera. He was on a mission.
As he arrived in each town, he would ask someone. “Who in the community do you respect, a person of integrity, honesty and good character?” It could be a veteran or non-veteran. “I would contact the person recommended, introduce myself and explain the intent of the visit. It worked!”
Many times, the interview would take place at their kitchen table. Puppe asked where they had attended school, how they had survived the tough times, like the Dirty Thirties, and what we could learn from them. What advice would they want to leave for the next generation or grandchildren?
“Their stories of struggles, hardships, country school, and good times were priceless.” Many lacked comforts growing up, but there was more contentment now. This has reversed throughout the years. Like the POWs, they talked about Faith and Hope, and looking forward, not behind. One man interviewed said he had no written words of advice, but his advice to others is how he lived his life.
At the time of the recorded interview, Jim photographed each person. He experienced a warm cordial welcome at the visits. Many times, it was like visiting a long -lost relative. They were open and willing to share their stories. Puppe condensed transcripts that lasted up to an hour, focusing on a remarkable experience, and added a photograph— all in his book on a single, easily-read page. He included an index in the back, alphabetizing for each person and every town. After the photos and stories were compiled, he self-published it.
The book is dedicated to his dad’s two first cousins, Elmer and Lester Puppe (brothers) who lived near his childhood home, were killed in action during the Allied invasion of southern Europe in WWII. He and his wife, Sharon, visited their burial sites at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Italy where more than 7,800 other Americans are buried.
A photo is of Pauline Roll, sitting in a rocker on the open North Dakota prairie. This mother of 21 children, all born within 21 years, is featured in the book.
The book, Dakota Attitude; Interview from Every Town in North Dakota, received an international award from the Independent Publisher Book Publishers. Jim has spoken to groups, and has been on radio, television, and podcasts. The book has been featured in magazines and local and national newspapers, including the Star Tribune and International Rotary magazine. A portion of the proceeds of the book provides student nursing scholarships at NDSU. “We need more nurses,” he says.
There are so many remarkable people in the book, like Dr. Bonemeyer, 98, a POW captured during the WWII war at the Battle of the Bulge; he is a retired dentist who lives in Fargo. But space limits. For a few more stories of resilient people, visit Jim’s website: www.dakotaattitude.com/. In its 8th printing, the book can be purchased at most bookstores in North Dakota, online through his website and is available at many local libraries.