Dear Mother, Today my troop and I arrived at Buchenwald Concentration Camp. We were preceded by another troop lead by a gruff colonel. The colonel briefed my troop upon our arrival. He told us to prepare ourselves for the most horrible sight some of us might ever behold.
I thought he was just trying to intimidate us, but I was very wrong. When my troop and I walked further into the camp, almost inhuman faces peered from around barbwire fences greeted us. Their faces were gaunt and extremely pale. Their eyes were sunken in. And then I saw their bodies. The prisoner’s ribcage’s were showing.
I spoke to one of the prisoners. His name was Mibrik Vuredel. Mibrik said,’ Please help us. We have not eaten anything for three days. The Nazis treat us like dirt.’ I was appalled at what I had just heard.
This was a violation of human rights in the utmost form. I couldn’t begin to fathom how someone could treat another person in this manner. After my troop and I finished releasing the prisoners, we made our way to an area marked by a sign that said ‘Extermination Chambers’. We wondered if this was one of the infamous Nazi gas chambers. We went to investigate the area. I was utterly shocked at what I saw.
There were hundreds of bodies scattered all over the floor. The area reeked of pain and death. We all realized obviously that the Nazis had found time to execute one last group of truly innocent prisoners. Today I witnessed the remnants of one the worst crimes against humanity. I pray that me or anybody else will ever have to witness such atrocities ever again. Love, Pvt.
Justin Thibodeau x.