MAJOR JOHN J. MOHN
ABOUT THE BOOK
During World War II, Major John J. Mohn served as Captain of the 106th Division, 422nd Infantry, 1st Battalion, HQ Company. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, along with 7,000 other men, the second largest surrender of World War II. His story is a unique journey across Europe, as prisoner camps were too full and the German officers were unsure what to do with the prisoners. Mohn was prisoner from December 19, 1944 to May 2, 1945. During these 5 months, he was forced to walk across Germany and Poland totaling 1,200 miles. He was liberated three times, twice being recaptured.
About John J. Mohn’s Memoir
John Mohn recorded his memories of World War II and his POW experience in a memoir, which was to be published in the early 1990s. Unfortunately the publisher doubted several of Mohn’s experiences, even though they were documented. Mohn pulled the project, placed the memoirs in a box, and forgot about them for 10 years. His granddaughter, Mandy Altimus Stahl, resurrected the story in 2003 for a documentary on her grandfather, called “John Mohn: POW in Question” (see Youtube to view) She interviewed Mohn, gathered documents, and proved that his story was true.
Unfortunately John Mohn passed away in January 2005. His book has never been published. Until now.
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His daughter, Deb Mohn Altimus, Rick Altimus, and Mandy Altimus Stahl teamed up to share this memoir with the world in 2015, for the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II, and John Mohn’s liberation. The second edition of the book was published in 2024.
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Read this first-person account of the hardships, the terror, the survival, the humor, and the hope of a P.O.W. in Germany during the last days of World War II.
“More than just a narrative of his experiences as a P.O.W., it is a testament to the indomitable spirit of American soldiers and a reminder to all of us of the sacrifices they made to preserve our freedom.”
−from the Foreword by Edward P. McHugh
Documentary
John Mohn: P.O.W. in Question
This documentary was produced in 2003 by Mandy Altimus Stahl
for a college project.
Runtime: 40 minutes.