A/N: Published September 2, 2020.

Salina

-11-

The car engine shut off in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"Let's go, girls," Florida-class battleship Utah said.

Gearing-class Destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. and Iowa-class battleship Missouri watched as Utah got out of the car and closed the door. The destroyer and fast battleship looked at each other and followed the dreadnought. They entered the gates of the cemetery and were greeted by a blonde woman holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Hallo, Utah," she said gently.

"Hi," Utah responded with a handshake. "Girls, this is MV Wilhelm Gustloff. Missouri and Kennedy Jr."

Wilhelm Gustloff shook the hands of the tall girl and short girl.

"No disrespect or anything, but why are we in Fort Douglas Cemetery?" Kennedy Jr. asked quietly.

"You were in-state and so was Gustloff," Utah said, "I just thought I'd show you something that doesn't get talked about much."

Utah gestured to follow her, and Gustloff, Missouri, and Kennedy Jr. fell in behind her. The concrete gave way to grass when Utah veered off the walkway. Walking between the headstones, Utah stopped in front of a group of headstones near the iron perimeter fence. Kennedy Jr. tilted her head as she saw Gustloff, visibly shivering, kneel down and place flowers at the base of nine headstones. Her eyes widened when she got closer.

"Are those German graves? In an American military cemetery?" Kennedy Jr. asked.

Utah nodded.

"POWs?" Missouri asked. "What happened?"

"75 years ago, 140 miles south of here in Salina, there was a POW camp that held about 250 Wehrmacht soldiers," Utah said. "Of course, Nazi Germany surrendered back in May which should be – was – a cause for celebration. Not for one of the Salina Camp guards, though. On a night in July 1945, the Germans were still waiting to be repatriated or released, that one guard – I refuse to say his name – got drunk, climbed into one of the guard towers, turned the .30 cal that was up there on the prisoners' tents and opened fire, not stopping until the entire 250 round belt was used."

Utah was visibly shaking. Missouri hugged Utah. The dreadnought snuggled against the fast battleship like a kitten in need of comfort. Kennedy Jr. timidly reached out to Gustloff, who was on her knees silently weeping with a handful of flowers in her hand, and patted her on the back.

"9 dead, 19 wounded," Gustloff choked. "The war was over. They should have all been able to go home. But they couldn't."

"All because some drunk psychopath wanted to 'kill Germans,'" Utah added.

Kennedy Jr. extended her hand and helped guide Gustloff to place the flowers at the base of the remaining German headstones.

The German POWs killed in the July 8, 1945 massacre were buried by the United States with full military honors.

Otto Bross – July 8, 1945

Ernst Fuchs – July 8, 1945

Gottfried Gaag – July 8, 1945

Georg Liske – July 8, 1945

Hans Meyer – July 8, 1945

Adolf Paul – July 8, 1945

Fritz Stockmann – July 8, 1945

Walter Vogel – July 8, 1945

Friedrich Ritter – July 13, 1945