Man of Confidence : Kenneth J. Kurtenbach: WWII's Longest-Serving American POW Camp Leader

Shot down at 21 years old, tortured by the Gestapo, and sent to the notorious Stalag 17-B, Kenneth “Kurt” J. Kurtenbach refused to be just another prisoner of war—he became a “prisoner at war.” He led more than four thousand fellow airmen behind barbed wire, fighting daily for their rights, survival, and dignity under the Geneva Convention. Many credited him with saving their lives; all remembered him as the leader who gave them hope and helped them return home with honor. In December 1942, after evading capture for 13 days in Nazi-occupied France, Kurt was caught by the Gestapo, interrogated under the infamous Klaus Barbie, and transferred through a series of POW camps before reaching Stalag 17-B. There, for 18 months until liberation, he bore the heavy responsibility of being the prisoners’ only official representative to German and Swiss authorities, working tirelessly to improve the lives of his fellow POWs. Awarded the Legion of Merit and recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor, he has been featured in books and documentaries yet his complete story has never been told. Drawing on extensive archival research and first-hand accounts, this is the powerful story of “Kurt” Kurtenbach, from his childhood in Iowa and Montana to his final days. It demonstrates how courage, determination, and grit can endure even during humanity’s darkest moments.