For the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program's Spring 2011 Intern Class. Dr. Gerhard Fruend recounts his experiences before, during, and after World War II in Nazi Germany. As a child, he witnessed political street brawls between Nazis and Communists, marched with the Hitler Youth, and saw his father for the last time while training to become an anti-aircraft helper at the age of sixteen. He later volunteered for the Air Force, in which he became an electronics technician, ran into trouble for failing to salute an officer, and was eventually captured by Allied Forces after escaping a collapsing Eastern Front. He describes his time as a prisoner of war in both American and British prison camps, as well as his eventual discharge and return home. After his return to civilian life, Dr. Freund attended medical school in Frankfurt, got a Master’s Degree in Applied Chemistry in Montreal, and eventually settled as a professor at the University of Florida, where he researched alcohol addiction in animals.