I spent the day today with my Father, a WWII Vet, who will be 95 later this month.
He served in Belgium, Germany and CZ. Served in Patch’s 7th Army and Patton’s 3rd Army.
One of his classmates, Lt. Jack Westbrook, was also involved in taking Dachau. Dad was not there for it’s liberation but saw it not long after, his company spent that Winter near Munich as guards for work crews of captured German soldiers who were used to cut firewood so the inhabitants of Munich did not freeze.
They forced the inhabitants of Munich to go to Dachau and view what really happened. So there was no possibility of denying it.
Please hug your dad for me :)
After the war he was assigned a post in Germany with the instructions to take all of our aircraft, and what was left of the Luftwaffe, send the propellers and small electronics back to the states on boats, then blow up the fuselage. He was there from March of '46 to Feb. 47. His only connection to the camps was to get a one day pass to attend the Nuremberg Trials. I still have the ticket to get in, a map of where he sat for 3 hours, and the letter he wrote to Mom about it. He always told us that it was very well organized. The headphones he was given translated everything for him. He was responsible for keeping the 300 men under him away from the diseased ladies of the evening that preyed on the boys. So he organized Roebuck barbeques complete with kegs of beer and poker tournaments. The men complained that Dad would take all their money and they could not go into the local towns. Mom would never let him play with us kids, he was too good.
Willing to post a name and mailing address so he can get birthday wishes?? If you respond yes please include freeper generally, he sends cards too