(29 Apr 1995) Eng/Ger/Nat
The Dachau concentration camp was liberated on 29 April, 1945 by the 42nd Infantry Division of the U-S army.
Exactly 50 years later, U-S veterans are back to commemorate the liberation of the camp, where more than 36-thousand prisoners died.
As part of their visit, the vets met local school students to tell them of their experiences and to explain what Dachau was really like.
Five decades after they liberated the Dachau concentration camp, some 200 veterans of the 42nd Infantry Division, or Rainbow Division, returned to Germany.
For many, the visit brings back painful memories of that day in 1945, when they entered the camp and witnessed for themselves the horrors of the Nazis' reign of terror.
More than 36-thousand prisoners died at the camp, including Jews, Gypsies and POWs.
When the US soldiers arrived, they found 32-thousand inmates - many dying from typhus, diphtheria and hunger.
Many of the veterans admit that the atrocities they witnessed at Dachau have haunted them throughout the years.
But they don't regret coming to Germany.
For them it's an opportunity to honour their lost comrades and to share their experiences with colleagues - and with the Germans.
As part of their visit, the veterans travelled to local schools.
They met German students and talked to them about the liberation and the Second World War.
One such school was the Effner High School.
The topic of Dachau was not new to the students - the school organises regular visits to the camp so its pupils can learn from the past.
But the encounter with U-S veterans made history come alive in the class rooms.
The vets had nothing but praise for the initiative and the interest shown by the German students.
SOUNDBITE:
"You don't want to remember that type of atrocities if you can avoid it. But we do discuss it now. And I think rightly so. I'm glad to see that Germany is discussing it and facing it. I think it's an important thing for them to do. And hopefully these young people will see that it doesn't happen again."
SUPER CAPTION: Richard Tisch - Veteran of the Rainbow Division
Even though the veterans' stories were at times shocking, the students listened raptly.
SOUNDBITE:
"They're my age when I was in the army over here at 19. And the look on their faces was for me well worth talking to them. They were very appreciative, they were very, very interested it seemed."
SUPER CAPTION: William Donahue - Veteran of the Rainbow Division
For the students, it was a time to catch up with the past, a past often ignored or even denied.
SOUNDBITE: (In German)
"Alone one doesn't get such information. Especially in school it's very important to talk about this subject because there are still some students who have the opinion that the concentration camp isn't even important and that it should be torn down. I think it's important to hear about it and to get different opinions on the subject."
SUPER CAPTION: Stephanie Boehme - 17-year-old student
On Sunday, the veterans will join survivors, Jewish leaders and German officials at the Dachau concentration camp for an international ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation.
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