Man of Confidence: Kenneth J. Kurtenbach: WWII's Longest-Serving American POW Camp Leader

Kenneth “Kurt” J. Kurtenbach, a WWII airman and POW, led fellow prisoners with courage and resilience.

Shot down at 21 years old, tortured by the Gestapo, and sent to the notorious Stalag 17-B, Kenneth “Kurt” J. Kurtenbach refused to be just another prisoner of war—he became a “prisoner at war.” He led more than four thousand fellow airmen behind barbed wire, fighting daily for their rights, survival, and dignity under the Geneva Convention. Many credited him with saving their lives; all rem...