IAMA grandson of man who helped liberate Dachau concentration camp 68 years ago today. He doesn't want people to forget what happen, and agreed to answer any questions you might have. I'll be helping him type responses. AMA.

So was my grandfather!! His last name is nickeson and he sends his best to his fellow comrade!

Same! Did he know Harry campbell armstrong? He was a Lt.

I'm upvoting both of these in hopes the grandfather sees it and remembers both of them and an emotional WWII reunion happens where they talk about experiences over seas... OP will surely delivar

what if one of them stole his camera?

He would like it back

Unfortunately he doesn't know him.

Grandson of R. Friend, PFC Company G, 222nd Infantry, 42nd Division also wishing your grandfather well.

Proofish

"He was among the guys who actually captured the camp. We were over there about 2 hours later."

I took care of a gentleman who was in Dachau. He was taken home to the swine farm of one of the guards and forced to work. He was 16 when the other guards of the camp would come by every night and attempt to bring him back to kill him. The guard told them that he "wasn't done with him yet". He was forced to sleep in the pig pens. He was liberated by a group of american soldiers who happened by him and rescued him. He would get tears in his eyes when he spoke of the men who saved his life.

He reunited with his childhood sweetheart on the boat to America. Some of the very few who survived from their town, none of their family survived. They were married for 60+ years. He became EXTREMELY successful in kosher foods. After all that time, the dementia, the sadness of it all, he STILL remembered those soldiers, his saviors.

Tell your grandpa thank you. What he did was truly an act of heroism.

I also want to clarify that a lot of what I learned of his time there was told to me by his son and daughter. They were very proud of their parents. He would recall his past in his (rare) moments of clarity and he would share them with me. He had some PTSD associated with his experience, coupled with dementia, it was very hard. He was wary of people, would try to "escape" often and was easily frightened towards the end of it all. He was a very sweet man though and I miss him very much. When his wife passed, he followed a month later.

"Thank you. The whole thing was a shock. It's comforting to know that we saved some lives."

[deleted]

He says "we didn't know anything about it. Basically the Army had no idea these places existed. They knew of the rumors, but did not have the proof. The concentration camps were run by the SS, of course they were worst. The SS would put the 'bad prisoners' (people who committed crimes outside of camp) would be in charge of the prisoners who followed the rules. However when we liberated them, the prisoners knew who they were and went after them. When I got there I saw two prisoners beating a third to death with a board. It changed my perspective of the SS. Most the German army was drafted and just doing a job, but the SS were the real bad guys.

To build upon answer to first question above, regardless of awareness or not, I am curious as to what stands out to him the most as far as memories go. (Thanks for the answer, had to be horrifying) Since he was unaware, how difficult was it to even comprehend what he was seeing? Also, does he have any ideas on how we could prevent something on a scale like this from happening again? (Not sure if my last question makes sense, but if he was unaware it is amazing to me how well these things were hidden and I am trying to ask how something like this could be made public and prevented at an earlier point)

edit: made changes to wording because my first wording made it sound like question above me was irrelevant.

Edit 2: changed based on response above to clear up, and also thanks to OP for answering.

"Beside the man beaten to death, a big room opposite the gas chamber. It was filled with hundred of naked bodies ready to be cremated. Outside the camp was a rail yard filled with dead and dying prisoners. Many had been shot to death trying to escape."

[deleted]

He doesn't remember that. But he wasn't there until hours later.

Is there an interaction with a liberated prisoner that you specifically remember?

"Not specifically. We weren't there that long. They were too busy trying to find something to eat or kill a guard. Several guards were dead in the moat."

Hey, I don't have a question. But as a Jew can I tell your grandfather thank you.

As a great-grandchild of 8 survivors: Thank you!

"Thank you!"

Were there any Nazis left at the camp when it was liberated? If so, what happened to them?

"Oh sure. The camp commander and his staff fled. The rest along with a lieutenant did the official surrender. They were taken off to a POW camp."

2 hours into liberation how free was everyone? Was it a simple door is open go home or doctors called in to examine health?

"They were not free. Some got out, but had to be rounded up because they were looting the stores. We needed to keep them in one place to get medics in there and food for them. But remember, the war was still raging so they wouldn't fared well outside of the camp at that point."

I got to visit Dachau when I was in Munich for a few days. Is it true that the liberators marched the German towns folk thru the camp to see the mistreatment by the soldiers?? I vaguely remember hearing this. If so, could you elaborate on how all that went down?? Thanks!!

"Eisenhower's policy was that people in the neighboring town were to be brought in and see what happen. Many didn't want to know what was going on... but knew about the rumors and the camp's existence."

How hard was it coming back to civilian life in America with the horror of war and Dachau still in your mind?

"I wasn't too hard for me. After the war, I was on occupation duty in Austria. It was a beautiful country and a nice rehab. I get flashbacks, but no lasting terror."

Hi there. How does he feel about the latest round of people calling the claims against the Nazis at best exaggerated, and at worst made up completely?

Does he stay in touch with any of the people he liberated?

Edit: Changed Germans to Nazis, as pointed out, not all Germans took part, and not all Nazi's were German

"It depends on what you means by Germans. Many didn't know what was going on. The problem was the Nazis, not just of German descent either. People who say Holocaust are liars. Holocaust was horrible, no question about it. They have the documentation to prove it."

As a follow up, how would he answer the deniers?

"They are liars. As people die off, more want to deny it. But there is too much documentation. They don't know what they are talking about."

How did they deal with beginning to treat the liberated prisoners? Was it difficult to get them to trust you after what they had been through?

"I didn't have much interaction with the prisoners. Occasionally we'd run into some after the war. They were grateful. I was in the 222nd Regiment. They moved us on quickly after turning it over to another Division."

My grandfather was in the Rainbow Division as well, there when they liberated Dachau. He passed away a few years before I was born. Ask your gramps is he knew anyone with the last name Tobin... My grandfather never told stories of his time there and I'd love a glimpse of family history lost.

"Sorry don't know him, and I'm sorry you never met him."

hi. I always feel rude for doing this, but we're supposed to: Proof?

edit verified

Proof sent to admins.

Are you my local news anchor??

*You totally are. You're great! Can't wait to hear the answers from your grandfather!

Shhh

What was the worst thing he saw?

What was the most uplifting thing he saw?

Answered about worst things above. "Nothing uplifting really. When we got into Munich it was filled with thousands of German prisoners with their hands on their heads. It meant the war was going to end soon"

How long after discovery did it take to realize exactly what kind of place this was, and the things that went on there.

"Some of it was obvious right away... but within a few weeks we had the whole picture."

How does he feel about the portrayal of the discovery of death camps in movies and television?

"Some of it is okay. Some of it is slanted as most Hollywood stuff is. There is no question about how awful it was, but not everything is accurate."

This is a really simple question with what I expect might be a very complicated answer; could your grandfather please describe what he saw when he first got there?

"I saw two men beating another into hamburger. After that, I remember the shops they used to build ammo boxes."

What happened to the officers and guards at Dachau? Were many of them killed outright or were most taken prisoner? How were they treated by the liberating forces?

"The ones they could capture were sent to POW camps. SS went to a different camps. Some guards were killed. I didn't witness them being killed, just saw the bodies."

I've read there was a very distinctive smell of decomposing bodies around concentration camps, and that it would travel as far as nearby towns, compromising the locals ability to claim they knew nothing about what was going on. How far out did your grandfather notice the smell?

"The smell I noticed there was in the room where the bodies were stacked. Most of the bodies outside were killed that day. It seemed most bodies weren't around long enough at Dachau to create a smell that would travel that far."

How did your grandfather and his fellow soldiers change their views of the civilian Germans after finding this?

"I found no problem with the general population. Most towns and villages were glad to see Americans. They were bad told so many bad things about us, and realized we weren't. They were shocked that many of us had German names!"

What was it like on a sensory level? Sight, sound, smell. Were the reactions of liberators mostly angry or sad?

Thank you so much for doing this!

"There wasn't much talk. You just stood there with your mouth hanging open. While you were in the camp it was just seeing it. It was quiet from what I remember."

Were there any Jews serving with your Grandpa that were part of the liberation of their own people? What were their reactions when seeing their people?

"One of the men in my 6 man squad named Goodus (sp?) was Jewish. He didn't say a lot, but you could tell what he was thinking."

In those moments of silence, where does your memory go to in life?

"Once in a while I will recall incidents like the pile of bodies. Mainly I remember leaving and being passed by lieutenant Garrison in a jeep, he cut in front of me and hit a landmine in the road. Killed him and two others."

I visited Dachau about 12 years ago. It still stands as one of the most remarkable places I have ever been. The barracks, crematorium, gas chambers. There was evidence of them hanging prisoners from the rafters inside the crematorium to speed things along, and also stories of cremation as the means of execution towards the end.

The overall sense that I walked away with was that this was a DEATH camp. Run by cold, ruthless people fanatically committed to their cause of genocide.

My questions:

• was there any clear evidence in those initial moments of liberation that the camp had ramped up production to kill as many prisoners as possible right up to the end?

• were forces able to capture any surviving soldiers, or did they mostly find that they had committed suicide (or fled)?

• what part of the liberation did he take most personal pride or satisfaction in?

• did he have advanced knowledge of the plan to liberate, or were they just marching out from Munich and arrived at the camp?

Please tell him thanks for doing this AMA. He is a hero in my book.

"Yes. The ramped up their killing. The rooms were full and so were the train cars. We didn't know that the camp was there. We were in the area on the way to Munich when we got the word of what was happening."

Hi OP, my grandfather was there with yours. His name was Frank Ingram, it's a longshot but maybe your grandfather remembers him?

"No. Sorry."

Do you believe that the wars people fight today are as necessary as the one you fought in?

"No. Absolutely not. We have no business being in many of the wars we're in. In the Middle East- they been fighting for thousands of years. We're not going to change anything."

How did your grandfather feel about humanity after he saw just what people were capable of at their worst? Did the experience alter his life for the better or worse?

"I saw a lot of things. Including a 13-year-old hanging from a tree. He refused to help the SS escape. It's hard to believe people could do it. I saw terrible things after the war too, as a State Trooper."

Has he ever been back? If yes, why did he go and what was it like to go back? If not, does he regret it?

"I have never been back. Couldn't afford to. I would have liked to have gone back to Austria, not the camp."

First of all: Thank you for doing this AMA. I'm a german student who is very interested in our history. Two questions.

What would he do, if he see a guard from Dachau today?

I know we can never recompense it (I hope these are the right words), but does he think, Germans do enough to clear their debts compared to the things the Nazis did to those people?

"Depends on what his job was. If he was a Nazi guard, I don't want anything to do with him. They are evil."

What, do you find, is the biggest misconception that people today have about the liberation of the WW2 concentration camps?

"I don't like the quacks who say it never happened."

I used to do transcription work for holocaust survivors and the soldiers who encountered the camps. I've heard over and over that soldiers gave the prisoners food and the shock to their systems killed many people. Was he told not to feed the prisoners? What was that like? I can't imagine looking at living skeletons and being told not to give them what they most need.

"We had K-rations and they had chocolate in it. They wanted the chocolate and it would make them sick. We had to ration the food so they wouldn't get sick."

What percentage of the prisoners were Jehovah's Witnesses? At the time they were known as Bible Students and they wore a purple triangle instead of the star.

Also, did he get a chance to interact with any of the prisoners on a personal level/hear their stories?

"Never saw them personally. There were a few protestant prisoners, but lots of Catholic priests. Thousands, most were dead or dying."

[deleted]

"It was a pleasure to see that the survivors were free and it was over. It was nice to be part of that. I played a very small role."

My grandfather was a sergeant in 42nd as well. Throughout his life he was vocal about his war experiences, but never about Dachau. The terrible memories of the atrocities committed there were too much for him to describe, but he always reminded us of the importance of remembering what happened at places like this so that they will never happen again. Thank you for doing this AMA and reminding people never to forget.

"If he was stationed there, I can imagine why he didn't want to talk about it. It's hard to accept that people were treated that badly. How can the guards watch people starve to death. There are bad people in the world."

Thank you for doing this. From living through it, do you think that the people of Germany were manipulated and brainwashed by Hitler and his propaganda, or do you think that deep down human beings have a lot of evil in them and things like that will always continue?

"They were brainwashed. But remember, when people objected in Nazi Germany, the repercussions were horrible. There were many good Germans."

Also, how did you cope with any PTSD? How did other soldiers and how did the prisoners cope?

"I've gotten over that. The big helpful thing was being in peaceful Austria after the war. Good rehab. Smoking was also a big help."

How has the American culture changed in your lifetime?

"I don't agree with a lot of the crazy music. I can't stand it. I think there is a whole element of the population who doesn't give a hoot nowadays. I'm surprised by how little some know about this country. I am not happy with the education system. They couldn't tell you who Thomas Jefferson was, and it's a shame."

Did he take any souveneirs? If so what?

There is a saying, "The French fight for glory, the English fight for land, and the Americans fight for souvenirs."

"I had a German helmet, air force cap and a Nazi flag. It was on a school house that was being used by an artillery unit. There was also an artillery saber that I took, but someone stole it out of my jeep. I also took an iron cross, but sold most of it."

What kind of condition were the people in you found and how did they react when they saw you? Did they talk to you, smile, act scared, etc. Also one last question, did anyone in your unit let one of the prisoners kill a nazi?

Sorry these might be a little too personal, but thank you for doing this AMA!

"They were in shock. They just wanted to hug an American."

Did you ever get angry? If so, how did you cope with it?

"I did get upset, but there was no one to take it out on."