“I Can’t Close My Legs” – German Woman POW Shocks the American Doctor
In July 1945, at Camp Swift in Texas, a small examination room filled with the harsh smell of disinfectant and the oppressive heat of summer became the setting for a profound encounter that would change the course of medical treatment for prisoners of war. The ceiling fan clicked lazily above, offering little relief as Captain David Morrison, a seasoned American doctor, prepared for another day of treating soldiers and prisoners. But today, he would meet a young German woman whose condition would challenge his understanding of war, humanity, and the consequences of starvation.
As the door creaked open, a 24-year-old German woman named Keith Schmidt stepped inside. She leaned against the doorframe for support, her legs trembling so violently that she could barely move. “I… I can’t close my legs,” she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and exhaustion. Morrison, expecting to see a battle wound or some hidden injury, asked her to take off her boots. What he discovered next would haunt him forever.
The Harrowing Examination
As Keith slowly removed her boots, an unpleasant odor filled the room—old sweat mingled with the sharp scent of infection. When she peeled off her thick socks, Morrison was confronted with a shocking sight. Her legs were emaciated, almost skeletal, with open sores and raw skin that told a painful story of months of starvation. In a nation overflowing with food, an enemy prisoner stood before him on the brink of death from hunger.
Morrison had seen many war wounds during his service in North Africa and Italy, but nothing could prepare him for the devastation he witnessed in Keith’s frail body. At 5’6″, she weighed a mere 87 pounds. Her body mass index was dangerously low, and as he examined her, he noted the hollow cheeks and sunken eyes that betrayed her suffering.
“I need to examine your legs and feet,” Morrison said gently, trying to maintain a professional demeanor despite the gravity of the situation. “Please remove your shoes and socks.”
Keith hesitated, her fingers trembling as she untied her boots. The room was silent except for the sound of her laces scraping against the eyelets. “I cannot close my legs,” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
The Reality of Starvation
As Keith removed her socks, Morrison’s heart sank. Her calves were thin and frail, with almost no muscle left. The skin was stretched tight over her bones, and her feet were a web of blue veins with open sores around her ankles. It was clear that she had been living in a state of extreme malnutrition for months.
“How long have you had trouble walking?” Morrison asked through an interpreter. “Since January, maybe February,” Keith replied softly. “The rations became small, then very small, then almost nothing. My legs, they stopped listening to me.”
In that moment, Morrison realized that Keith’s suffering was not an isolated incident but part of a much larger tragedy. The reality of her starvation was a stark contrast to the abundance enjoyed by American soldiers and civilians. Here was a young woman, once full of life, reduced to a shell of her former self by the ravages of war and a collapsing supply system in Germany.
A Glimpse into the Past
To understand how Keith had arrived in this condition, Morrison had to look back to the last desperate months of a crumbling Reich. In early 1944, Keith had been an ordinary clerk in a supply office near Hamburg. The war had initially seemed distant, but as the bombing intensified, the reality of starvation began to set in.
As the air raid sirens blared and the ground shook beneath her, the supplies in her office dwindled. Ration cards promised food that never arrived. By January 1945, her rations had shrunk to a thin soup and a crust of bread, and by April, she was often left with nothing. The irony was cruel: a nation once known for its efficiency was now unable to feed its own people.
The Transformation Begins
After Morrison completed Keith’s examination, he knew he had to act quickly. This was not just a case of being underweight; it was a medical emergency. He began to document her condition, noting the severe malnutrition and the multiple infections in her feet. He realized that the starvation she experienced in Germany had followed her to America, and now it was his responsibility to ensure she received the care she desperately needed.
Morrison’s report detailed the alarming statistics of Keith’s condition. He recommended a full examination of all female prisoners in her transport, suspecting that prolonged severe malnutrition might be common among them. The following days saw Morrison and his team working tirelessly to assess the other women, revealing a pattern of suffering that was shocking and heartbreaking.
Out of the 30 women examined, 23 showed clear signs of serious malnutrition. Many had body mass indexes below 16, indicating they were not just thin but dangerously underweight. Morrison’s findings prompted a meeting with Major Thomas Henderson, the camp’s chief medical officer. They discussed the urgent need for action to address the health crisis among the prisoners.
A New Approach to Care
Major Henderson listened intently as Morrison outlined the findings. “This is systematic starvation,” he said. “These women are not just enemies to process; they are medical emergencies.” The major agreed to implement new rules for the treatment of incoming prisoners, ensuring that all would receive thorough medical examinations and appropriate care.
The newly established nutrition ward at Camp Swift became a lifeline for Keith and her fellow prisoners. With careful monitoring and a gradual increase in calorie intake, the women began to regain their strength. Morrison and his team provided them with small, frequent meals, rich in nutrients, while also addressing their medical needs.
As the weeks passed, Keith’s condition improved. She gained weight, her legs began to regain some strength, and the sores on her feet healed. For the first time in months, she could walk without assistance. The care she received in Texas contrasted sharply with the neglect she had endured in Germany, where her status as a clerk had left her vulnerable to the ravages of war.
The Power of Compassion
Throughout her recovery, Keith and Morrison developed a rapport. They shared stories of their lives, and she began to open up about her experiences during the war. The conversations challenged the stereotypes she had held about Americans, and she learned that kindness could exist even in the most unexpected places.
As her health improved, Keith began to reflect on the paradox of her situation. She was receiving better care as a prisoner in America than she had as a civilian in Germany. “How is it that I eat better as a prisoner than I did as a free person in Germany?” she asked Morrison one day. He explained that the United States had sufficient food supplies, unlike the ravaged landscape of post-war Germany.
Keith’s letters home became a means of reconciling her experiences. She wrote to her mother about her time in Camp Swift, describing the kindness of the American doctors and nurses, and the food that nourished her body back to health. The contrast between her life in Texas and her mother’s struggles in Hamburg was stark, yet her mother urged her not to feel guilty for being fed.
A Journey Home
As the war came to an end, Keith’s name appeared on the repatriation list. She had transformed from a frail young woman on the brink of death to a healthy individual ready to return home. The day she left Camp Swift, Morrison conducted one last examination, marveling at her progress. She had gained weight, regained her strength, and was no longer the skeletal figure who had walked into his office months earlier.
When Keith arrived back in Hamburg, she was met with a city in ruins. The devastation was overwhelming, but she carried with her the lessons learned in Texas: the power of compassion, the importance of humanity, and the realization that even in the darkest times, kindness could prevail.
Legacy of Humanity
Years later, Morrison would reflect on his time at Camp Swift and the impact it had on his medical career. His experiences with Keith and the other women shaped his understanding of nutrition and recovery, influencing how he treated patients throughout his life. The case files and reports he compiled became essential references for medical professionals studying the effects of starvation and the importance of humane treatment.
Keith, too, would carry the memories of her time in Texas with her, sharing her story with her children and grandchildren. She emphasized the importance of seeing others as human beings, regardless of nationality or circumstance. The bonds formed during her recovery served as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.
In the end, the story of Keith Schmidt and Captain David Morrison is a testament to the power of compassion in the face of adversity. It illustrates how one doctor’s decision to treat a prisoner with dignity and care changed not only individual lives but also the course of medical treatment for those who had suffered the ravages of war. Their journey reminds us that even in the darkest of times, humanity can shine through, proving that kindness is a force capable of transcending borders and breaking down barriers.
