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Liberation of Gunskirchen, Austria - May 4, 1945
This pamphlet was produced by the US Army after theyliberated a concentration camp in Austria calledGunskirchen Lager.The book recounts in detail, and with very graphic photos, the tragedy they found in the camp.
| Dachau Liberation My Holocaust Experiences Displaced Person's Camps by Chuck Ferree | Dachau and Its Liberation "Tell us who were there that it never happened" by Felix Sparks, Retired General Lt. William Cowling: Report from the Dachau Liberation Liberation of Buchenwald |
It is extremely important for Liberators and any other witnesses to the atrocities of the Holocaust to document their testimonies. We are building this Liberators' section in the Cybrary, and Chuck Ferree was the first to share his story. If you'd like to participate in this important project by sharing your own testimony as a Liberator, just click here chuckf@rio.comand send an email to Chuck.
Debate the Holocaust?
by Dan Johnson
I am a WW2 vet who was in the 102nd Infantry Division which spear- headed the 9thArmy drive across Europe to the Elbe River where we met the Russians. Weliberated a number of the death and work camps as we went along.
The camps, most of which were small could be drawn on for "free" labor.Political prisoners were worked to death and it didn't matter to the Germans, asthere were plenty more where they came from. The whole idea was to get rid ofthe prisoners permanently and make a gain of free labor in the process. I sawBuchenwald first hand shortly after it was liberated.
The ten-man combat team which I was a part of was directly involved in a placecalled Gardelegan. 1016 Jewish prisoners were being burned alive there in a barnon the edge of town by the SS troops who held the town. My buddy, Bob Zech, whospoke fluent German, perpetrated a ruse on the SS officer in charge bythreatening a tank attack if he and the other SS troopers who had fallen intothe trap did not surrender within the next twenty minutes or so. The SS bought itand surrendered. They had intended to kill us, which would have been easy and totheir advantage because they wanted to cover what was going on the edge of townat the time.
An American lieutenant had just been captured by chance as heand his driver had wandered into the town from the otherdirection. They just wouldn't have surrendered to a private without the presenceof an American officer. After the SS Colonel surrendered, the barn where thesepolitical prisoners were being roasted to death was discovered at the edge oftown. The smoke was still rising when I walked in. Curiously, the arm of one ofthe victims was burned badly and smelled like roast turkey to me. TheDivision Commander, General Keating, ordered the towns people to construct acemetery and memorial as an attempt to honor the victims. A small brochuredescribing this event was printed and distributed to members of the 102ndInfantry Division. I still have mine after 52 years.
Ours and other infantry divisions were not capable of sustaining a continuousattack. We just ran out of steam and had to stop to re-group and replenish lostmanpower due to battle casualties, etc. Another division would "pass" through usto give us a breather. During one of these lulls in battle we had an opportunityto go to Buchenwald which was a major Death Camp. Our officers winked us outon "special" mission so we could see what was going on. We saw the mountains ofdead bodies, etc., although it was not necessarily new to us as we were directlyinvolved in uncovering this sort of activity, but on a somewhat smaller scale.
I just can't conceive of anyone not believing that these things happened. ButIguess time has a way of altering history. The guys who actually witnessed thesethings are fast leaving the face of the planet. Soon there will be none of usleft to give eyewitness accounts of what they saw. I salute the thousands andthousands of GIs and soldiers of other nations who gave their lives to put an endto this madness. I often wonder what they would think if they could awaken to seewhat I see around me. Would they think it was worth it?
I certainly would not attempt to debate the reality of those times. It wouldbetantamount to arguing with someone who believed the earth is flat...Where do youeven start to debate such a premise?
If you are a Liberator and would like to participate in this important project by sharing your own testimony, just click here chuckf@rio.comand send an email to Chuck.
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