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Zephaniah "Creed" Musser

Zephaniah "Creed" Musser

Posted: 11 Feb 2015 10:22PM GMT
Classification: Obituary
LANCASTER – One of the true heroes from Fairfield County of World War II died last weekend.

Zephaniah "Creed" Musser, the last surviving American WWII prisoner of war from Fairfield County, died Saturday at age 98.

"He was an awesome Dad who always had an encouraging word for everyone," said his daughter, Tia Henderson. "You simply couldn't go to a store without him saying something to everyone and everyone stopping to talk with him."

Before WWII, Musser worked on a large family farm near Buckeye Lake. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on March 9, 1943, eventually landing with the 78th Division, destined to play a role in the invasion of Europe. Following stints in training camps in the U.S., his division headed to England.

He landed on the Normandy beaches June 9, three days after the initial landings. He stepped off landing craft "into neck-deep water, certainly over our waists, holding our rifles over our heads, and walked to Utah Beach," Musser said in 2006.

When he landed on the beach, he said he walked up to a colonel who asked him what unit he was with.

"I told him the 78th, and he said, 'You're in the the 79th Division now,' " Musser said.

Musser said in a 2006 interview they were still being hit by German shells and the beaches were stacked with destroyed equipment and dead bodies.

In the 79th Division, he became a runner, taking messages to commanders and providing passwords to front-line sentries and messages between posts. He ran on foot everywhere.

Then came the Battle of the Bulge. When the Germans broke out in their last major counteroffensive, Musser and his unit had retreated to the town of Drusenheim, near the Rhine River. Then German tanks entered the town.

Musser said he had been traveling with an officer and telling soldiers to pull back when he was ordered to jump over a stone wall and find a church, but when he returned, the officer and the Americans were gone.

He decided to hide in the church and spent three days in the coal basement, covering himself with coal. "A couple of German soldiers came down into the basement one time to look around. They talked all the time, but didn't spot me," Musser said in a 2010 interview with the Eagle-Gazette.

After the third day, he decided he had to try and make it back to his own lines. He covered himself with dust and took off his helmet and carried it, trying to disguise it.

However, German soldiers stopped him and recognized the American helmet. He was captured Dec. 27, 1944.

He was transferred among POW camps, including one at Baden Baden, where his feet were frozen, finally ending up in POW camp at Markt Pongau, Austria. His feet suffered permanent damage from being frozen at Baden Baden.

"His toes curled up on each other," Henderson said. "He used to tell us his toes liked each other and liked to hug."

On May 9, 1945, Musser woke up in the POW camp in Austria to find all the guards had left; the prisoner cabins were unlocked and the front gates were open. Creed remembered a American colonel in a Jeep arriving and riding into the camp.

"The first thing he asked was if anyone was from Ohio," Musser said.

Right after returning home, Musser joined a local organization of prisoners of war and veterans organizations. He was always willing to talk about his experiences and said they were an important part of his life.

"I thought all he had was fun during WWII to hear him talk about it," Henderson said. "It wasn't until later that I found out what it was really like. But you would never know it from him. He was always upbeat."

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Halteman-Fett & Dyer Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Forest Rose Cemetery where the military burial detail will conduct a military graveside services. Friends may call 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Motts Military Museum, 5075 S. Hamilton Road, Groveport, OH 43125.
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Obituary
Zephaniah "Creed" Musser, 98, Ohio passed away on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at the Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, Ohio.
He was born August 27, 1916 in Millersport, Ohio, a son to the late, Zephaniah Courtright Musser and Carrie Mae (Sullivan)
. He grew up on a farm in Millersport, OH and lived in Lancaster, Ohio for most of his life.
While growing up his father was the Treasurer of Lancaster, Ohio and later became the trustee of the County Home.
During his scholastic years, he attended classes in a one room school house.
He served in US Army during WWII, where he was a runner in the 79th division in France.
He was captured and held in Germany as a P.O.W. and was later released and returned back to his home in Lancaster.
Upon returning to Lancaster he worked for Anchor Hocking Glass for 43 years.
He also married his loving wife Eva Maxine (Sanders) in June 1941 and together they had a daughter, Tia.
His family was always his first priority and always had a sincere smile and a kind word for everyone he came across.
He also took much pride in his garden, as it was one of the finest around, along with being a very talented artist and the tip board king for the American Legion.
He was very active with the American Legion and the Ex - POW's where he was a past Chapter Commander.

Creed is survived by his daughter, Tia Henderson; grandsons, Lukas (Kayla) Henderson and Jakob Henderson, a great-granddaughter, Lillie Henderson, great-grandsons, Lyle and Levi Henderson, sisters in law, Lucille Wallis, Birma Roushan, Alverta Shumaker and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Eva Maxine (Sanders), brothers John Ray (Sarah), and Andrew (Anna), sisters, Elizabeth Musser and Francis "Fannie" (Tom) Zink, step-daughter, Dona Leah Sanders and son in law, Barry Dean Henderson.

Creeds family would like to thank Heartland/Fairfield Nursing Home for not only giving him good care, but also giving him an extended family to love.

Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m. Thursday at Halteman-Fett & Dyer Funeral Home.

Burial will follow at Forest Rose Cemetery where the Military Burial Detail will conduct military graveside services.
Friends may call 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Motts Military Museum, 5075 South Hamilton Rd., Groveport, Ohio 43125.
Published in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette on Feb. 10, 2015
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