I received news shortly after Christmas that my friend and mentor Sylvestor Knorr passed away at age 93 in 2016. Sylvestor was a member of the 100th Gebergsjaeger Regiment and fought at the siege of Leningrad and Monte Casino. His award included Iron Cross 2nd class, Infantry Sturmabzeichen, Silver wound medal and the Ostmedal. After release at the end of the war, he returned to his small town in Eastern Austria and married his sweetheart. There first child was a daughter who had a form of cancer that could not be treated in post war Austria. His wife had a cousin who lived in Chicago and had worked for my grandfather. He sponsored them to come to the USA and arranged for a job for Sylvestor with my grandfather’s company. When I went to work for the company, he was the only employee that took me under his wing and taught me the practical side of the business. I rebuilt his medals for him which he framed and proudly displayed in his house. One day at a dealer’s house, I was looking through his junk box and found a brass watch fob with 100th GJ on one side with an edelweiss. On the reverse were words in Russian. I bought it for him and dropped it on a blue print he was working on. He was amazed and told me he had one just like it. They were made from melted Soviet cannon and the Russian words were locations of various battles they had fought. I asked him what happened to his. He replied, "when I was captured, some Yankee stole my watch." I used to visit him at home as retirement and always he brought out two glasses and the bottle of Jaegermeister. He was a fine man, a contribution to our country and will be missed. I was fortunate to have known him.
