Austinite was part of famous WWII escape
Robert Spielman, a retired counselor at local middle schools, was one of 10 men who made daring escape in Philippines in 1943.
By Claire Osborn
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Army Col. Robert Spielman had a sense of humor even while he was a prisoner by the Japanese in World War II in the Philippines, his daughter said. "One of the guards wanted to learn English so he taught him how to sing 'God Bless America,' " Margaret Spielman said.
Robert Spielman died at his Austin home at age 86 on March 18 of natural causes, she said. He was one of 10 men who made a daring escape in 1943 from the Davao prison camp, his daughter said. The men managed to escape the attention of their guards, walk out of the camp and cross a swamp before they met with Filipino forces who rescued them, said John Lukacs of Pennsylvania, who is writing a book about the escape. Lukacs, who interviewed Spielman for the book, said Spielman was a very "stubborn, hard-nosed individual."
"He never met a problem that he couldn't either go under or around or through, " Lukacs said.
Spielman joined the Army as a teenager after running away from his East Texas home and working as a horse wrangler, his daughter said.
"He was very kind and very funny and never got angry with me," said Lucy Spielman, his wife, who met him in the Philippines.
Robert Spielman got a master's degree in education at the University of Texas after the war and taught at the Texas School for the Deaf, Margaret Spielman said. He was also a counselor at Lamar and Murchison middle schools before retiring; he liked taking students camping and to football games, Margaret Spielman said.
"He used to have a red pickup and anybody that needed a ride just climbed in the back," she said.
Spielman will be buried today at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
Austinite was part of famous WWII escape
Austinite was part of famous WWII escape
For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman
Im going to be interested in getting a copy of the book when it comes out.
