FEBRUARY 6, 2025 – On Jan. 27, 1945, ten thousand Allied POWs stepped off from Stalag Luft 3 in Żagań as the Nazi regime began forcibly evacuating its POW camps in the face of the advancing Soviet onslaught in what would be called the Long March. They would trek 60 miles to the city of Spremberg, Germany, enduring one of the coldest winters on record.
Eighty years later, 147 U.S. Army Soldiers stationed across NATO’s eastern flank, alongside service members from Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Long March, retracing the same grueling 60-mile route taken by their military forebears.
“This is the first year we had family members here, making it extra special,” said Howard De Lester, historian and director of the Long March reenactment.
Along the route, Soldiers paused at the same local schools and historical landmarks the POWs had visited eight decades ago. At each stop, family members from the U.S., U.K., and Australia shared firsthand accounts and insights from diaries written by their ancestors.
De Lester first completed the journey in 2006 alongside three original POWs. Despite being in their early 80s at the time, the veterans walked the entire route once more, staying in the same locations they had occupied during their captivity.
“You have walked exactly the same roads, sometimes on the very same cobblestones,” said De Lester. “Wherever you have rested your head at night is where the prisoners of war rested theirs.”
Day 1: The Journey Begins
By 8:30 a.m., the Stalag Luft III POW Museum in Żagań was abuzz with activity. The POW camp-turned- museum was filled to the brim with troops and descendants, ready to embark on the solemn journey. A commemorative service at the museum’s war memorial marked the start of the first leg of the march—a 21.5- mile trek through the villages of Iłowa and Gozdnica.
Upon arrival in Iłowa, they visited the school and the church where POWs once rested. They were warmly received by the mayor.
Throughout the first day, local communities braved the cold weather to show their support, sharing bread and salt—a Polish tradition for welcoming guests. The Housewives Association of Gozdnica welcomed the group with hot coffee, tea, and cookies, as well as live music at the Gozdnica Community Center. They sang, danced, and invited the Soldiers to join them on stage.
As the day concluded, marchers arrived at their designated rest stop in Lipna—an old horse stable that has only updated its accompanying animals since the original POWs laid their heads there. In 1945, the POWs slept on hay. In the 80th-anniversary reenactment, marchers had only hard concrete.
“It was rough,” said Staff Sgt. Mickael Khiev of the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion about his night in the barn. “I have huge respect for them. This is a really tough experience, not to be taken for granted.”
Day 2: Pushing Forward – The Border Crossing
Cold, damp air weighed on their shoulders as the marchers trudged forward on the second leg of their journey. A cobblestone-filled 20.7-mile trek from Lipna to Bad Muskau, Germany, was their next challenge. Fatigue, dwindling energy, and sore feet tested the will of the marchers—a defining day for many.
As the formation crossed the border from Poland into Germany, German law enforcement vehicles joined the procession while local residents gathered at the border to wave and cheer them on.
After pushing through the final miles of the day, the marchers arrived at Fürst Pückler Park in Bad Muskau, exhausted but relieved. They were welcomed with hot bratwurst on fresh bread and cold German beer—a stark contrast to the austere conditions endured by the POWs. Soldiers rested, shared stories with the POW family members, and reflected on the journey so far.
“They cheered us in,” said Maj. Travis White, assigned to V Corps. “We had half the town out there clapping, saying ‘welcome’ and ‘thank you.’”
The brats also beat the MREs we’ve been eating the past two days, he added.
Day 3: The Final Stretch
Marching cadences pierced the morning calm on the last day. Spirits were high as the Soldiers pressed forward on the final leg—17.8 miles from Bad Muskau to Spremberg.
British and Australian POW family members mentioned what a treat it was to march alongside American troops while they sang their marching cadences.
“I’m proud of myself,” said Sgt. Lassana Sanha of the 1060th Transportation Company, just three miles from the finish. “I’m sure everyone is hurting right now, but we keep pushing.”
The march ended at Spremberg Bahnhof, the train station where the original POWs were packed into cattle cars and transported to other camps deeper inside Germany. But for these 147 marchers, hugs, handshakes, and more than a few tears marked the conclusion of their journey.
That night, a final banquet was held at Castle Kliczków in Poland, where Soldiers and family members gathered to reflect on the experience they had just completed.
Mission and Coordination
The Long March 80th Anniversary was executed to promote international cooperation, esprit de corps, and honor the survivors and descendants of the original march.
Troops participating in the march represented duty stations across NATO’s Eastern Flank, including Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia; multiple locations across Poland; and Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania. A total of 147 marchers came from various units, including:
- 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve, Rhode Island
- Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Cavazos
- 1060th Transportation Company, Massachusetts National Guard
- 724th Transportation Company, Army Reserve, Illinois
- Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 7-17 Cavalry Regiment, Fort Cavazos
- 223rd Military Police Company, 51st Military Police Battalion, South Carolina National Guard
- 300th Military Police Company, 51st Military Police Battalion, South Carolina National Guard
- Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 51st Military Police Battalion, South Carolina National Guard
- V Corps (Forward), Poznan
- 304th Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve, Pennsylvania
- 110th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Georgia National Guard
- 962nd Ordnance Company, Army Reserve, New York
- 725th Transportation Company, Illinois National Guard
- One Department of the Army civilian and a contractor assigned to USAG Poland
Never Forget
By Bryan Araujo