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Jillianne Hancock

Methods 2 – Heaton

History Story

October 29, 1999

Liberation Day

The day was cold and dreary; smoke from all of the bombings was still hovering over the city. I was about to take part in a vital day in world history. My commanding officer had been given orders to liberate the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz. Auschwitz had the reputation of being the worst concentration camp in Germany. I was scared. Scared because of what I was about to see. Sure, I had seen death. I just got done fighting on the front lines in Germany. Men in my troop had been killed right beside me. I had seen my fellow soldiers blown to bits, but this was different. The closer we got to Auschwitz, the more frightened I became. I could smell death in the air. As we stood in front of the massive iron gate, I cannot begin to describe the emotions I felt. Slowly the gates opened . . .

The dirt road leading to the actual housing quarters was only 100 feet long, but to me it felt like getting from North Carolina to California. We went inside and for the first time I saw the people we were setting free. They were so thin, they looked like skeletons. They were so weak, they could not move. They were so sick, they could not live. We spoke to them in German saying, "You’re free . . .you’re free!!!" The ones that were even a little bit healthy understood and helped us explain to the others. There were many doctors around to help with the sick.

My troop continued through the camp. As we went down one hallway, the smell was unbearable. We noticed a large door at the end of the hallway, so we went in. There were large ovens, and we opened them. There were bodies in the ovens. The Nazi soldiers would pile people into them and burn them alive. The sight I saw that day is not fit to be seen by human eyes.

We went down another hallway, and once again we noticed a distinct smell. It smelled of carbon monoxide. We saw a door, and we carefully went in. There were hundreds of bodies stacked on top of each other. We found out that this was the shower room. The Nazi soldiers would fill the room, turn the showers on, lock the doors, and wait for the Jews to die.

Finally, we made it to the other end, and we had to go outside for some fresh air. What we saw out there, was the worst sight yet. We saw huge holes dug in the ground. These holes were filled with dead Jews. We named it "The Cemetery." The Nazi soldiers did not want the dead to start rotting inside the camp, so they would bury them in these big holes in the ground.

As we left Auschwitz that day, I knew that I would never forget this day for the rest of my life. It’s still hard for me to talk about. I know the importance of what I did that day, and I want you to know the horrible things that happened as the result of hatred and pride. Do not let hatred make you destroy other people. Do not let your pride make you think more highly of yourself than you ought. Life is sacred, remember that.

 

Sources: My great-uncle, Elmer Lancaster, fought in the front lines in Germany. He actually was one of the men who liberated Auschwitz. Even to this day, he cannot talk about what happened. This story has been passed down to me through my mom and my grandparents.

Questions:

1. What would you be thinking when your commanding officer told you your new assignment?

2. What kind of gates did the soldiers have to go through to get into the camp?

3. What images come into your head when you think about how the people looked that were in the concentration camp?

4. Name two of the three things the soldiers found inside and outside the camp that the Nazi soldiers had done to the Jewish prisoners.

5. What would you feel like after you left Auschwitz on that day?

6. What advice would you have for people reading your story?

Teacher’s Page

Jillianne Hancock – Liberation Day

Outline:

  1. The Emotions
    1. The soldier was scared to death.
    2. The soldier didn’t know what to expect.
      1. Have a big "iron" gate.
      2. Show the soldiers face as he enters the gate.
  2. The Liberation
    1. The soldiers were telling the prisoners that they were free.
    2. The others were helping everyone else.
      1. Show the chaos.
      2. Show the emotion on the prisoners’ faces.
  3. The Discoveries – for these just show the emotions on the soldiers’ faces.
    1. The Oven Room
    2. The Shower Room
    3. The Cemetery
  4. The Advice
    1. Have an old man crying as he is giving this advice.
    2. Make sure the person is really showing the emotion and importance of this last statement.

Answers to the Questions:

1. Let the children share how they would feel.

2. The soldiers walked into massive iron gates.

3. Let the children share what pictures they have in their minds.

4. There was the oven room, the shower room, and the cemetery.

5. Let the children share how they would feel.

6. Let the children share the advice they would give to people reading their own story. The most important piece of advice that they have learned over the years.