“Can We Have Leftovers?” German POW Women Asked, Americans Gave Them Coca Cola and Hamburgers

As the second world war tore across Europe, the clash of nations was often defined by destruction, death, and disdain. On the frontlines, each side painted the other as less than human, an obstacle to victory. But in the final months of war, one story would shatter everything the German women POWs thought they knew about their enemies, the Americans.

In the summer of 1945, Greta Vogel and her comrades—remnants of the German auxiliary corps, were taken captive by American forces. But instead of facing the brutal treatment they had been taught to expect, they encountered something that left them in shock: kindness, mercy, and humanity. The simple request of one woman for “leftovers” at a mess hall would change her perception of the Americans forever.

This is a story that defies the narratives of wartime propaganda and speaks to a fundamental truth about the human spirit: even in the aftermath of global conflict, there is always room for compassion.

1. The Arrival in Texas: Shock, Suspicion, and the Unexpected

The year was 1945, and Hana Vogel, like so many German women caught in the throes of war, found herself in Texas—far from her homeland of Germany. Along with 11 other women, she had been captured by American forces after the collapse of the German Ninth Army. The women had been told of the American cruelty: how Americans would be vengeful, how they would treat them like dogs, how the U.S. military would punish them for their part in the war.

They had been taught that the Americans were weak, decadent, and soft—but at the same time, vengeful, out to get revenge on anyone who had ever opposed them. What they didn’t expect was the complete contradiction they were about to experience.

When the prisoners of war arrived at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, the first shock was the landscape—America was untouched by the ravages of war. The fields stretched wide, towns were intact, and people lived without the constant fear of air raids. Everything that had been ruined in Europe seemed alive and whole in America.

As they stepped off the truck, their apprehension grew. They expected brutality, they expected treatment that mirrored the suffering they had been inflicting on others, but what they found instead was a clean camp with orderly rows of barracks and guards who appeared detached—not hostile, but uninterested. There were no beatings, no yelling, no insults—just quiet efficiency.

2. The First Meal: A Moment of Astonishment

After the long journey, these German POWs were brought to the mess hall. Greta, exhausted, malnourished, and on edge, felt a genuine wave of disbelief wash over her when they entered the hall. The room was filled with the scent of fresh bread, cooking meat, and sugar. For months, they had eaten nothing but sawdust bread and meat substitutes. Here, they were surrounded by abundance.

The women looked around in stunned silence, unsure how to process what was happening. Greta, hungry beyond comprehension, barely believed her eyes. She had heard rumors of how Americans were wasteful, but this was beyond anything she could have imagined.

In the line, the American cook asked Greta, “Hungry?” without any malice or disdain. He served her a plate of food—a burger, green beans, mashed potatoes with butter, and a slice of bread that felt like luxury to the women. Then came the bottle of Coca-Cola—something none of them had ever tasted before. For a moment, Greta couldn’t speak. She was paralyzed by the contrast between the cruelty they’d expected and the generosity they had received.

When she asked “Can we have leftovers?”, the cook laughed, not mockingly, but with genuine surprise. He replied, “This is all for you. You can eat as much as you want.”

For the first time in years, Greta realized that what she had been taught about America was a lie. These were not enemies, but people—kind, human, and offering what little they had, without question. This simple exchange of food and kindness was a moment that would haunt Greta for the rest of her life.

3. A Change in Perspective: From Enemies to Allies

As the women sat in the mess hall, the enormity of what was happening slowly sank in. Propaganda had taught them that the Americans were weak, decadent, and dangerous. But here, they were being treated with respect, given food, and even allowed to speak to each other freely, in contrast to the authoritarian regime they had served.

One of the women, Ilsa, couldn’t help but weep as she ate her first real meal in months. The tension in the air began to melt away, and the women’s skepticism started to turn into curiosity. How could the Americans be so kind? The women had been raised to believe that Americans were enemies, that their lives had value only as soldiers. Now they were being treated better than their own government had treated them for years.

The act of simply being fed, being given real food, was life-changing. But it wasn’t just the physical nourishment—it was the respect they felt in that room. Mercy, not vengeance, was being offered. And that shifted something fundamental in them. This wasn’t the evil enemy they had been led to believe existed. This was a nation of people who believed in dignity, in the value of life, and in compassion.

4. A Slow Transformation: Work, Connection, and the Seeds of Change

In the following days, the women were assigned to tasks on the ranch. They began working alongside the Americans—often with no communication beyond simple gestures and pointed fingers. However, the shared labor led to a gradual transformation. They weren’t simply prisoners. They were workers, human beings, and Americans began to see them as such.

One day, a young cowboy named Billy walked over to Greta, offering to help her with a difficult task. Instead of treating her as an enemy, he simply showed her the correct way to carry the heavy load, a small gesture of respect that meant the world. The women noticed the difference in how they were treated. Billy wasn’t interested in their past, their uniforms, or their history—he was simply showing kindness because they were human beings.

5. Leaving the Ranch: A Final Farewell

By the end of the summer, the German women were set to be repatriated. They had been treated with kindness and dignity, something unimaginable after everything they had endured during the war. But as they left the ranch, it wasn’t just the physical hardship they had endured that they carried with them—it was the emotional weight of newfound humanity.

In their last meal together at the ranch, the Americans threw a small farewell party, offering them the same food and kindness they had received throughout their stay. They shared stories, laughter, and even danced together. The final goodbye was bittersweet—Hana and the others had grown accustomed to the warmth of the Americans, a warmth they hadn’t expected.

6. Conclusion: A Legacy of Mercy and Humanity

As Greta and the other women left the ranch to return to Germany, they carried with them a new understanding of the Americans. What they had learned was simple but profound: kindness and mercy were stronger than hatred and cruelty, and that real humanity was found in how we treat our enemies, not in how we destroy them.

This story is a testament to the transformative power of compassion—how, even in the worst of times, kindness can break down walls, and how true strength lies not in the ability to dominate, but in the ability to forgive.