Paul Gordy, former POW, speaks on Tuesday July 1st, 2008

Mr. Paul Gordy was the guest speaker at Tuesday's Kiwanis weekly meeting and celebrated the 4th of July holiday.  Paul gave a heart felt speech entitled "Freedom", which he said is "neither free nor cheap".  "There's no glory in war...", Paul said, and " ...war is hell".  Those in attendance listened intently to every word spoken and knew they were in the presence of a true patriot.  Many looked with much interest at Paul's pictures, maps and memorabilia on display from his World War II experience. 

Gordy, 86, lives in Chipley with his wife Ann and is a WWII veteran pilot of the U.S. 8th Air Force stationed in England.  After his plane was shot down during a mission on July 29th, 1943, Paul was captured and spent the next 22 months in a POW camp in Germany.  The POW camp where Paul was imprisoned was the same camp upon which the movie "The Great Escape" was based.

 The movie told the story of how some of the 1,200 camp prisoners dug an underground tunnel a few hundred feet from below one of the barracks to an area outside the walls of the prison.  The tunnel entrance was hidden from view under the barrack's wood burning stove.  One of Paul's memorabilia was an actual 20 pound section of the floor under the stove.  The problem with the plan was that the tunnel was 30 feet shorter than it needed to be and the 76 escapees exited the tunnel in an exposed area near the camp wall rather than in the woods.  All escapees except three were re-captured.  Fifty-five of the 76 were executed. 

Gordy told about an unlikely meeting of a fellow prisoner from his home area, Mr. Harry Williams of Bonifay, who now lives in Chipley.  Paul also told the audience that his brother Leonard Gordy's plane was shot down on 04/29/44 and was sent to the same POW camp as Paul.  What a reunion that must have been.  They were prisoners together for 12 months at the same camp until rescued by Allied forces in 1945. 

 Time did not permit Paul to tell many WWII stories that he could have told.  He said several times "That's another story".   He might tell you one if you ask him sometime.     Standing applause by an appreciative audience meant  "Thank You, Paul, for your service and sacrifice".  

Before Mr. Gordy spoke, special music to celebrate the 4th of July was provided by Cynthia (right) and Marice Wynn of Chipley's Grant Tabernacle AME.  Mrs. Wynn sang several verses of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and was accompanied on the piano by her husband Marice.  The audience, at Rev. Price Wilson's suggestion, joined the two in singing the last verse.