Jack van der Geest
This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (July 2016) |
Jack van der Geest | |
---|---|
Born | 17 September 1923 |
Died | 5 March 2009 | (aged 85)
Jack van der Geest (September 17, 1923 – March 5, 2009) was one of only seven
Biography
Jacobus Petrus Cornelis van der Geest, known as "Jack", was born at Teijlerstraat 58 in
In May 1940, van der Geest and his friend, Fred de Koning, were in
Van der Geest was educated at an Aviation Institute in
In September 1942, the
Van der Geest was sent to Buchenwald and was incarcerated there from September 15, 1942 to March 3, 1943. His prisoner number was 512601. He stayed in Block 46 and survived brutal medical experiments at the hands of Dr. Erwin Ding-Schuler. He escaped on March 3, 1943 by pretending to be dead prior to the 5:00 a.m. roll call at Buchenwald. He was thrown into a pile of bodies approximately 50 yards (46 m) long and four feet (1.2 m) feet high. He lay there for 11 hours, and then, weighing about 80 pounds (36 kg), killed an SS Guard, put on his uniform and rode a truck out of camp. He then traveled to Neufchâteau, France where, with the assistance of Maquis members Dr. Marvell, a dentist, and his wife Cherie, he became a member of the French Resistance.
Van der Geest later became attached to the 101st Airborne Division as an interpreter. He became a U.S. citizen in 1953 and later joined the
September 17, 2008, van der Geest's 85th birthday, was commemorated by a tribute made in the U.S. Senate by Senator John Thune.[2]
March 3, 2009, was Jack van der Geest Day in Rapid City and the State of South Dakota in celebration of the 66th anniversary of his escape. He died unexpectedly two days later at Rapid City Regional Hospital of natural causes. He was declared dead by the hospital at 4:59 am.[5]
He is buried in Calvary Cemetery on Sheridan Lake Road in Rapid City, South Dakota.
After his death, the South Dakota State Senate issued a resolution honoring Jack van der Geest.[1]
References
- ^ a b State of South Dakota, 84th Session, Legislative Assembly 2009, "Senate Commemoration No. 29" Archived 2009-04-11 at the Wayback Machine (PDF) Retrieved June 1, 2010
- ^ a b Tribute to Jack van der Geest The Library of Congress, official website. Retrieved June 1, 2010[dead link]
- ISBN 978-0-9649615-2-4.
- ^ Jacobus van der Geest photo and listing Dutch National Archives, official website. (in Dutch)[not specific enough to verify]
- ^ a b Aust, Scott (March 4, 2009). "WWII prison camp escapee, author Jack van der Geest dies at age 85". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
External links
- www.jackvandergeest.com Archived 2021-12-06 at the Wayback Machine
- South Dakota Public Broadcasting, 5/22/2009
- Jim Kent's article (Memorial Day 2009) in the Rapid City Journal
- Story on SD Public Broadcasting about Jack van der Geest
- Rapid City Journal's article on the proclamations[permanent dead link]
- Sept 17, 2008 was Jack's 85th birthday, which was commemorated by a proclamation by US Senator John Thune of South Dakota[permanent dead link]
- Jack's last public speech at the Rapid City Council meeting, March 2, 2009