During the invasion of German-held Austria, the U.S. 11th Armored ("Thunderbolt") Division overran two of the largest Nazi concentration camps in the country: Mauthausen and Gusen. On May 5, 1945, the 11th arrived in Gusen, which had originally been a subcamp of Mauthausen. The division's arrival prevented the SS guards from murdering thousands of concentration camp prisoners by dynamiting the underground tunnels and factories where the inmates had been forced to work. The very next day, the unit liberated Mauthausen.
In this interview, John D. Rastelli, a veteran of the 11th Armored Division, speaks with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum about his experiences during liberation. *courtesy of ushmm.org |
GI Edward S. Weiss, a resident of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was responsible for disposal of the dead shortly after Dachau's liberation by Allied forces. In
this interview with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Weiss speaks about some of his experiences following liberation at Dachau. *courtesy of ushmm.org |