Charles L. Saunders, CPL, US Army, WWII
Author: John Vick
Charles L. Saunders of Opp, Alabama, graduated from Opp High School in 1943 and then joined the U.S. Army. After completing infantry training, he was assigned as a military policeman with the 795th Military Police Battalion. His unit landed in Normandy only six days after D-Day.
During the advance through France and Germany, Saunders guarded General William H. Simpson, commander of the Ninth Army, and helped escort French General Charles de Gaulle into Paris after the city’s liberation. He later recalled binding the hands of German prisoners executed for infiltrating American lines in U.S. uniforms during the Battle of the Bulge.
After Germany’s defeat in 1945, Saunders served as a military police guard at the Nuremberg Trials. The trials brought leading figures of Nazi Germany before an international tribunal to answer for war crimes committed during the Nazi regime. In an iconic photograph from the proceedings, the German defendants are seated in the dock flanked by two American military policemen. Saunders is the MP standing on the left.
After returning to Alabama, Saunders attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute and earned a master’s degree in education. In 1948, he married Marion Livingston. They had three daughters: Susan, Beth, and Nancy. Saunders worked in education and served as a school principal in Selma, Phenix City, and Troy.
Charles L. Saunders died on March 18, 2021, and was buried at Green Hills Cemetery in Troy. His military service included assignments in Normandy, during the Battle of the Bulge, and at the Nuremberg Trial
Comments