An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Holocaust Remembrance Day
67 years ago, on May 7, the war in Europe was pretty much over, with Germany’s unconditional surrender.
Before the surrender, troops made some horrifying discoveries.
Survivors of Ampfing sub-camp of Dachau 
American soldier views bodies at Kaufering IV camp, May 1, 1945
Hanging the innocent 
Commandant Johann Eichelsdorfer at Kaufering IV sub-camp of Dachau 
Hung at Landsberg prison, May 29, 1946.
Aerial photo of Dachau SS garrison and concentration camp
Did the U.S. government know? Some say yes. Some say it was beyond anyone’s comprehension that this could be so. Whatever the case, could we, as a nation, have stopped it, if we did know. FDR was in office. There was a lot of anti-Semites in his administration. If the public knew, would they have demanded an end to the slaughter. I would hope so, but honestly, I really don’t know.
Bergen-Belsen
These camps were wide spread. 
In reality, there were about 1,500 such camps.
Could we, as ‘spoiled Americans, have survived such conditions? 
Would we have the will? The strength of character? What would we have done? Many did what they had to do. Could we?
While men, women, and children were being slaughtered, 
the SS at Auschwitz enjoyed their time off. 
The human mind really can’t conceive of man’s inhumanity, even now, so many years later, with all the evidence, the photos, the personal accounts, the eyewitnesses, our minds really aren’t equipped to comprehend the horror. Approximately, 11,000,000 human beings were murdered in the Nazi death camps, 6,000,000 to 7,000,000 were Jewish. Catholics, gypsies, undesirables, infirm, political dissidents, and many others, all found there way to Hitler’s lists.
I was born in Dallas, Texas. I was baptized as a baby in the Lutheran church. I grew up in the Presbyterian church. I am now a member of a Bible believing Southern Baptist church. But today?
Today, I am a Jew. And I remember.
I remember VE day as a day of noisy celebration. I recall being a child outside, riding my big, chain drive tricycle on the sidewalk in Evanston, IL, where we lived during that part of WW II, and all the cars that passed by were honking loudly. As a small child, it was difficult to process “the war is over (in Europe)” and “the war continues.” It was a while before I was able to understand that while we had defeated the European enemy, the Asiatic enemy remained and that would take a while longer.
I wish we were still the America of the WWII generation. A generation who gladly sacrificed, with pride and dignity, for a country they loved, and the service members waging war on their behalf. We have sunk pretty low since then.
Thank you for posting this, as hard as it is to view, we must NEVER forget.
It CAN happen again.
The Nazi’s were/are DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS !
This happened because of gun confiscation and gun control.
Apathy is the enemy of freedom.
And you’re welcome. After seeing pictures that my uncle took of the camps when I was a kid, the images have never left me. He was a photographer with the Army.
After the end of WWII the Jews were given their country back out of the goodness of USA and Europe’s hearts…not. This was done becasuse no country wanted them. see http://www.sunray22b.net/expulsions.htm
And ya know….I’ve never understood that at all! Fabulous country….fabulous people…rich with tradition and history. People hate what they fear, and they fear what they don’t understand. grrrr