Remember The Holocaust
85It boggles my mind....
My grandfather was a man of very few words, and much less when it came to his experiences in World War II. Later in life, this brave and valiant man tragically suffered a stroke, which caused some curious changes. Aside from the physical changes he endured, we also noticed some striking changes in his personality. All of a sudden, he was an open book when it came to his experiences in the war.
My grandfather once related to me the fact that at the end of the war in Europe, he had been one of the so-called Liberators, troops that were sent into the concentration camps in search of people in need of help. He related to me that the average soldier thought of Hitler as the enemy, because when you are in war, that is your mind set. None of these Liberators had a clue what they were going to find when they entered the camps. He related to me that the first sense he had that something tragic had happened was when he and others began opening rail cars that were filled to capacity with clothing - most of it children's clothing.
I love my grandfather, even now that he, himself, has passed onward. More than love, I trust this man, because he was, first and foremost, a man of dignity and honor. When he tells me what he saw in the concentration camps, I believe him, and always will.
So it is understandable how my blood could boil when I hear radicals in Iran, who have a long-standing feud with the Jews, claiming that the holocaust never actually happened. A good friend and patriot just sent me an email that contained a PowerPoint Presentation on this travesty. I personally do not forward such emails, because I believe they are not widely read. I do, however, create pages such as this when I see a cause that is worthy publicity.
The Jewish people were not the only people who were impacted by Hitler's insanity. His crimes were against all humans, and anyone with a conscience should know that anyone who is trying to suggest the holocaust was an urban legend has a devious agenda lurking in the background.
I need to caution you that some of the images that follow will be highly disturbing to you. That is, in fact, the reason why I felt compelled to create this web page. However, I feel it is only fair to let you know in advance, so you can make an informed decision about whether you wish to proceed from here.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower Was Right!
General Dwight D. Eisenhower was right when he gave the order to make as many films and photographs as the soldiers under his command were capable.
 My grandfather passed away years ago, and I am not acquainted with anyone else who was a first-hand witness to the terrors that existed in these Nazi Death Camps. I invite anyone who has stories to tell, or who has been told stories by friends or relatives of veterans, to share their stories here. By doing so, we will send a message to the Iranian radicals who are proliferating this myth, but more importantly, we will be making certain that history is accurate, even if it is not always pretty.
Think about how you would feel if you were a friend or family member of someone who died in the World Trade Center attack if people started saying the whole thing never happened. You would think they were crazy, right? Of course! We know 9/11 happened, and whether we were alive 60 years ago or not, we know the Holocaust happened too!
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
Such an important event for everyone to know about, to be able to recognize its reappearance so it can be stopped. Terrific hub.
I am a history buff, and I really don't like "revisionist history," but to take something of such magnitude as the Holocaust and suggest that it never happened, it just sickens me.
Here's an idea....let's pretend that the last eight years under George Bush never happened, and we went from Clinton to Obama....that would be about as realistic!
Thanks for the notes Mulder and Livelonger.
Jim
This needs to taught to every child in the world, not cut out so generations can be told it never hapened and they believe it cause no one ever saw this. Looks like Ole IKE was right. His fear is realized in 2009.
Mr. Bowes - First I should give credit to you for being the individual who sent me the email in the first place. Thanks buddy! Believe it or not, over the years I have heard crackpots make this claim that the holocaust with a hoax, but it was usually presented in a way to illustrate how outrageous people can be.
My guess is that there are a lot of people over there in Germany who feel guilt on behalf of their ancestors, and it is easier to pretend it didn't happen than to admit that their grandfathers or great grandfathers were Nazis, so they concocted this notion as a defense mechanism to deal with their guilt. Now it seems that other people with anti-Semitic tendencies are picking up on it. Even if the vast majority of the people do not believe it, they will have accomplished their objective if they can ruffle some Jewish feathers just by saying it.
Jim
Oh Jim, what a hub. How cruel humanity can be. In our day to day struggles we tend to forget how lucky we really are to be living in our free worlds. My heart aches for all those unfortunate individuals who were so tortured and humiliated, brought down to their lowest. Denying the truth of it ever having happened is the ultimate dishonor. How dare any one person take away the only thing that these poor souls have left to say. Their rights to live out their lives to its full potential was taken away by bullies that make me ashamed to be a part of humanity...
Let me thank you in the name of those millions that were denied life for writing this tribute to them
regards Zsuzsy
Zsuzsy - Thanks for your comment. Since I posted this tribute (nice word, by the way) I have been going through my memory, and I remember doing an article about the holocaust on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hitler. This was back in 1989, but I remember talking with a man who lived in the greater Lewiston, Maine area who, like my grandfather, had been a Liberator. The scenes he saw, I recall, changed him forever. So these extremist yahoos can say all they want, but good, logical people can see through the lies and rhetoric, and it only makes them lower in my estimation than if they kept their thoughts to themselves.
Thanks again Zsuzsy!
Jim
Hey crash, very well said. When I was 12 my father was transferred to Germany for over a year and we traveled there with him. I was privileged to visit Dachau. I say privileged because this place where so many perished is holy ground. I cannot imagine that anyone would build these structures to support a hoax. It's simply not cost effective. And there are so many. Why would Hitler build these places in the middle of a war? It makes no sense.
Thanks.
Great hub and I can feel your passion regaurding the subject. The Iranian radicals can believe what they want but pitures don't lie and they tell a story of truth. I am glad people such as yourself keep the truth in the fore front,.for it is so important for our younger generation to know this piece of history. The inhumane ways these people were tortured and killed should never be forgotten.
Thank you for reminding us with your great Hub. To think that at that time, as now, there were plenty of pacifist anti-military types fulminating that we should just talk nice to Hitler and he would be nice, too.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
My father was there too. He drove a half track in Patton's 3rd. Army. He saw many what he called,"stick people" that came to the soldiers for food from the camps when they were first liberated. Dad said that he had to break small pieces of bread off so the people wouldn't choke to death. They ate so fast and would try to swallow a half loaf of bread.
My dad had nightmares of the war and those starving people until he died. The smell of death traveled in the wind for miles. Your grandfather and my father are witnesses to the Nazi created hell. Thanks for writing this hub. We should never, ever forget. Only a total idiot would believe that it never happened.
Thanks for all your comments. Army Infantry Mom, you brought up the T word that seems to be a hot button item of late in our current war. Certainly nothing Americans have done in this war could rise to the level of Hitler, but when you see images of this sort, it is easy to see why people would become so passionate about this issue. Do we even want to be identified even tangentially with offenses such as these? As a proud, God fearing American, I wouldn't want to be in the same city, much less the same ballpark, as a sick man like Hitler.
The report presented above is a hoax - teaching of the Holocaust has never been removed from the curriculum in British schools. The report is simply an attempt to provoke anti-Muslim sentiment.
My grandfather died in one of those camps. It happened on Hitler's birthday. The guards all were given liquor, and they got drunk. My grandfather fell out of the guard tower and was killed.
mulder says:
5 months ago
Very sad events I have a few dvd movies about the holocaust Im glad you wrote this hub crashcromwell to remember those poor souls .