“I Can’t Close My Legs” — A German Woman POW’s Shocking Words to an American Doctor
In July 1945, as the world began to emerge from the shadows of World War II, a small, hot examination room at Camp Swift, Texas, became the backdrop for a story that would reveal the stark realities of war, starvation, and the unexpected kindness of a foreign nation. This is the true account of a 24-year-old German woman named Keith Schmidt, whose haunting words to an American doctor would change the course of treatment for thousands of prisoners.
A Harrowing Arrival
The exam room was filled with the smell of disinfectant and dust, and a tired ceiling fan clicked above a worn army table. Keith stood in the doorway, her legs shaking so badly that she could barely move them together. “I… I can’t close my legs,” she whispered to Captain David Morrison, an American doctor who had seen his share of battle wounds but was unprepared for the sight before him.
As he asked her to take off her boots, he expected to see a bullet wound or some secret injury. Instead, he was met with the raw truth of months of slow starvation. When Keith finally removed her boots, the doctor was confronted with open sores, bones, and the shocking reality that in one of the richest food nations on Earth, an enemy prisoner was on the brink of death from hunger.
The Examination
Captain Morrison, 42 years old and seasoned by his experiences in North Africa and Italy, quickly assessed Keith’s condition. She was 5’6″ tall but weighed only 87 pounds. A healthy woman of her height should weigh between 130 and 140 pounds. The numbers painted a grim picture: her body mass index was around 14, dangerously low compared to the normal range of 20 to 21.
Morrison noted her low blood pressure, rapid but weak pulse, and slightly elevated temperature. Up close, her cheeks were hollow, and her eyes appeared too large for her face. “I need to examine your legs and feet,” he said gently. “Please remove your shoes and socks.”
As Keith struggled to untie her laces, the smell hit them—old sweat mixed with damp cloth and a sharper, sour scent of hidden infection. When she peeled away her thick socks, the sight was horrifying. Her calves were emaciated, her skin stretched tight over bone, and her feet were a web of blue veins, with open sores that were angry and red.
The Impact of Starvation
Morrison was taken aback. He had treated many cases of malnutrition, but nothing could prepare him for the extent of Keith’s suffering. “My god,” the nurse beside him whispered, her eyes wide with shock. Morrison later wrote in his report that Keith exhibited extreme muscle wasting, multiple pressure ulcers, and signs of severe malnutrition. He had seen hunger before, but never cut this deep into a young woman’s body.
Keith explained that her troubles began in January or February when rations became scarce. “The rations became small, then very small, then almost nothing,” she recounted softly. “My legs, they stopped listening to me.” Morrison realized that her condition was not just an isolated incident but part of a larger crisis affecting many German civilians.
The Collapse of Supply
To understand how a healthy clerk from Hamburg had arrived in Texas with such severe malnutrition, Morrison had to look back across the ocean to early 1944. Keith had been an ordinary young woman, working in a supply office near Hamburg. As the war intensified, the bombs began to fall more frequently, destroying warehouses and disrupting supply lines.
Food that had once been promised to civilian workers was redirected to soldiers at the front, and the rations began to dwindle. By late 1944, the normal civilian ration had dropped to around 1,200 calories a day, far below what a young adult needed to stay healthy. Keith’s meals shrank to a thin soup and a crust of bread, and soon, there were days with no food at all.
The journey to captivity was marked by walking, hunger, and the loss of strength. By the time British forces captured her group in May 1945, Keith weighed around 90 pounds, her body a testament to the horrors of starvation.
A New Beginning in America
When Keith arrived at Camp Swift, the American soldiers provided basic rations, but it was not enough to rebuild what she had lost. The Atlantic crossing to the United States took about two weeks, during which she struggled with seasickness and further weight loss. Upon arrival, she was processed and examined, revealing the extent of her malnutrition.
Captain Morrison’s examination of Keith and the other women from her transport revealed a shocking truth: many were suffering from severe malnutrition, with some having body mass indexes below 16. The medical team quickly recognized that they were not just enemies to be processed; they were medical emergencies.
A Shift in Treatment
Morrison and Major Thomas Henderson, the camp’s chief medical officer, decided to implement new rules for the treatment of incoming prisoners. They established a special ward for those who needed long-term nutritional care and began to provide extra rations and vitamin supplements to those suffering from malnutrition.
As the women began to receive proper nutrition, their conditions gradually improved. Keith gained weight, her sores healed, and her strength returned. The irony of her situation was not lost on her; she was receiving better care as a prisoner in America than she had experienced as a civilian in Germany.
The Power of Letters
As the women recovered, letters began to flow between them and their families back in Germany. Keith struggled to find the right words to tell her mother in Hamburg that she was safe and gaining weight while her family faced starvation. In her letters, she described the kindness of the American doctors and the abundance of food they provided.
Her mother replied, expressing gratitude for Keith’s safety but also detailing the harsh realities of life in a devastated Germany. The contrast between their two worlds was stark, and Keith’s letters became a lifeline, connecting her to her past while she navigated her uncertain future.
The Journey Home
By spring 1946, Keith’s name appeared on a repatriation list. The war was over, and the process of sending prisoners back to their home countries had begun. As she prepared to leave Texas, she reflected on her time in the camp, the friendships she had formed, and the kindness she had received.
On a warm Texas morning, she walked into the medical office for one last examination. Captain Morrison noted her progress: she now weighed about 118 pounds, her legs had regained some shape, and her health had improved significantly. They shook hands, and Keith expressed her gratitude for the care she had received.
A New Life in a Ruined Homeland
When Keith stepped off the train in Hamburg, she was met with a city in ruins. The air was filled with dust and smoke, and the streets were blocked by rubble. Her family was living in two rooms with relatives, struggling to survive on meager rations. The contrast between her life in America and the devastation in Germany was overwhelming.
Despite the challenges, Keith found work with the British occupation authorities, helping to organize food cards and rationing. She married a man who had also been a prisoner, and together they navigated the complexities of rebuilding their lives in a shattered country.
The Legacy of Care
Captain Morrison returned to Philadelphia after the war, but he never forgot the lessons he learned at Camp Swift. His reports and case studies on the treatment of malnutrition became vital resources for medical professionals, shaping how future generations understood the importance of nutrition and care for those who had suffered during wartime.
The story of Keith Schmidt and David Morrison is a powerful reminder of the complexities of war, the resilience of the human spirit, and the capacity for kindness in the face of adversity. Their paths crossed in a moment of crisis, and together they forged a narrative of survival, healing, and hope that transcended borders and ideologies.
In the end, the war may have divided nations, but it also brought together individuals who learned that compassion and humanity could flourish even in the darkest of times. The legacy of their experiences continues to resonate today, reminding us of the importance of care, understanding, and the shared responsibility we hold toward one another, regardless of our pasts.
