Liberator Felix Sparks Testimony | USC Shoah Foundation

[@afool7733]

Finished watching the Liberators on Netflix and now here I am watching the real hero

[@nicholasdibble2400]

Same here man, i think we all are

[@johnmin5614]

Same great series and book, trying to encourage others to watch it.

[@watsonsd1]

What? I've read the book. There's a Netflix series?

[@willmurphy852]

@@watsonsd1 ya it’s called “The Liberator”

[@sajithmadushan7187]

Same here broo i just seen your comment and replied it thank you😊

[@doreendaykin6693]

The lady conducting this interview is excellent. Gratitude & respect to her.

[@OceanSwimmer]

Thank you, USC Shoah Foundation, for recording this important history. Eyewitness accounts are one of the best, but rarest, sources for events as experienced by persons on the ground. Historians may collect records, analysts may explain, but the man on the spot has seen with all his senses the place, mood, acts by others, and evidence when its undisturbed or conversely --- sanitized. I am very grateful for the Shoah Foundation's work preserving these firsthand accounts. Never forget.

[@thomasritz4863]

I read the book on BG Sparks and had the pleasure of hearing him speak while he was alive. Truly a great American and Hero. I was privileged to have him speak in an Officer Professional Development session while on Active Duty. Great speaker. Now that I am teaching history I will show this video.

[@flyboy1c]

The guy interviewing him sounds like Michael Jackson

[@shafur3]

Great hero I can't imagine how he felt when he seen the camp.May you be at peace.

[@cum-gw4sm]

Momma❤ ohhhh❤ yes❤ great interview❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@dawnitalutz1953]

We need more men like him.

[@OceanSwimmer]

Yes, indeed. I pray God sends more men like him for the challenges to come.

[@genataylor460]

You can see the pain in his face when he describes scenes he saw, which you can tell he is seeing again in his mind's eye. Some times there are things we have seen that we can never remove from our minds. You can tell when he revisits some of those scenes.

[@Marklar-fg9sn]

Read about this man - a true brave American hero. An ordinary man who bravely and selflessly did extraordinary things

[@PapagouBoy]

Devastingly riveting account. Thank you for your service and humanity. God rest your soul. Thank you for preserving this oral history.

[@janiedurene2286]

This is the most amazing interview. The General is very articulate and was an excellent soldier. Thank you for your service!

[@doreendaykin6693]

God bless this man. May God grant him eternal peace, rest & hold him his love forever.

[@ElectraGlideInBlue]

my father served with the 45th Infantry Division & was there for the liberation of Dachau.

[@grantelguapo]

Tony Proietta My grandfather was in the 45th as well.

[@TitusFFM]

I'm from Poland and your father and your grandfather liberated my grandfather in KZ Dachau. He was there for 5 years and survived.

[@claudiaperfetti7694]

@@TitusFFM lncredible!!! Wonderful

[@MusicFan-qc1ig]

My grandfather served in the 45th too!: 180th Regiment, M Company. He was a staff sergeant and forward observer.

[@TitusFFM]

@John Doe you have to make a distinction between concentration camps and death camps. Dachau was unique in some ways. It was the school for the SS how to run a camp. Most commanding officers as the nco where did train there that later run other camps.

[@kamalprasad1635]

What a great generation that was... my Dad fought in HongKong and was a POW there. British Indian Army.

[@jStevieO1]

my Uncle was also captured in HK Xmas day 41 ,he too was a POW in HK loaded on the Lisbon Maru headed for Hiroshima ,sunk by torpedoes from USS grouper ,he also survived this and the following 4 years as POW . Respect for your Dad !

[@74the_magpie]

What a competent, brave and smart man, thank you for your service. God bless you. Loving the direct way he tells the story. He should be as decorated as Patton. Tysm.

[@kennsea]

What a great and good man. I only wish I could have been part of this great generation. I am fortunate though to be a grandchild of those from this generation and thankful to learn and interact firsthand from men and women like Mr. Sparks. While necessary and important - no history book, memorial, or photo will ever substitute the honor I have of knowing, meeting, and having family like Mr. Sparks and others who served. Truly America's greatest generation.

[@grantelguapo]

Meat Tornado He is a great man. I was able to meet him several times as a child. The last time was when he came to my grandfathers funeral. He truly cared about his men.

[@terireed3740]

My grandfather parachuted into france with I think the 42nd airborne.. I wish I had been just a little older so that I was more interested in his stories.I feel as though I had living history book and I didn't read the whole thing. Definitely my loss. RIP Grandaddy and thank you for your service.

[@doreendaykin6693]

Well said 100% agree👏👏🙏

[@skrifefeil3634]

What a remarkable man! And with such good memory!

[@davidkanzler1960]

My dad was a liberator of Dachau sub-camps and did not buy the notion that the German citizens in the area did not know what was going on there...too much infrastructure, too extensive, etc.

[@floydjammer6395]

They knew I’m certain but that doesn’t mean they could stop it.

[@arthursmith6854]

Agreed. Many of the locals must have known, if not all the details, certainly the general operation. You could smell the camp a mile away according to many of the liberating soldiers.

[@pamcarson1180]

I don't buy it either. They knew.

[@cheshirecat1212]

The smell alone would have been enough.

[@SuperHUMAND]

Im glad someone understood how important this man is and gave him a 4 hour interview. Every word he speaks is so valuable and will be so valuable in 100+ years time.

[@maggietinsley2516]

Just read the book Liberator - Sparks was truly a leader among men.

[@BNJT]

Did you watch the series on Netflix?

[@johnelcock7734]

That was an incredible and amazing interview of a true living man and his story wow sir you are a great human and a hero thank you for for your dedicated service to your country

[@elephantjr22]

Can you imagine seeing that this man had to be so desensitized to war so sorry sir Thank you for your service Thank you for all you did for our country

[@gmgtroy]

Thanks for posting this. Gen. Sparks is a hero of mine. Dad served with the 45th, though not into Dachau, for he was almost killed and sent home from France. As Gen. Patch said, "where did we get such men"? Love the bolo and may we never forget, especially in the light of those who would deny the Holocaust or twist the truth for whatever purpose. Sparks? A truth-teller and a man who makes me proud to be a US Army brat:)

[@pamcarson1180]

A true American hero. I was so excited when I realized the Netflix series was about him.

[@titasantiniE]

HOW HE SURVIVED THE WAS IS A MIRACLE. AND HOW HE LIVED A WORTHY LIFE AFTER WHAT HE SAW, IT EQUALLY MIRACULOUS.

[@joec9016]

My father was a private with the 42nd div 222 infantry Company A and he left a written story about his life including his Dachau experience. There are a few things I could say about Sparks' story vs my father's experience. One thing is that they were already in Munich when they were told to get ready to move. They were moving on a road on the outskirts when a command car with Gen. Linden approached. He addressed everyone about what they were heading to (Dachau) and that, in so many words, no prisoners were to be taken. When they got there an american prisoner intelligence officer briefed them at the main gate. They were ordered to pair up and do their normal house-to-house action to collect any remaining SS. They were brought to the maintenance office for a very brief interrogation by their translator (which they loved the irony since he was a Jew). The prisoners were then lined up in the garage and shot with a BAR. One other thing... after getting control of the camp they found the railroad cars and searched them and found just one alive and they removed him.

[@mikebrown2209]

I spoke with the men who were with the 222 IR of 42 ID. One 692nd TD officer and one 42nd officer found that one survivor and drove him back for medical care. The 42nd went in the front gate and accepted the camp's surrender. They heard the 45th shooting in the back. Dachau's front gate has a plate with the Rainbow's shoulder patch.

[@wbl5649]

my father was a Sgt. in G company, 222nd. 2nd battalion

[@es0777]

Protect our veterans 🇺🇸

[@SunShine-og4ux]

Remarkable man. Thank you for your bravery and service. The greatest generation!

[@chrissnyder3430]

I visited Dachau in 1987 and you could still smell death in the air. The sewers were still emitting the smell. I was just a dumb teenager but damn it was a powerful sight. I just remember thinking how??? How could a human treat another human in this way? We are told to never forget but I see now that this world is forgetting.

[@Aethelrose]

Tell the kids.

[@raementkow8434]

Are you a Je

[@chrissnyder3430]

@@raementkow8434 I am not

[@motherofdoggos3209]

My grandfather drove ashore DDAY+3 and was a guard at Nuremberg. Hardly ever talked about the war.

[@themudpit621]

I like how he called Hermann Goerring "the fat boy". 3:21:19 RIP Felix.

[@AshLoRo]

"Fear is a Reaction, Courage is a choice". Netflix - The Liberator

[@vixg6799]

I love that saying. So powerful xx

[@alexkershaw5200]

Incredible testimony. Dachau begins around 1 hour into this.

[@CalamityJane3280]

I wish you had closed caption on this.

[@Cookefan59]

What a man. My kind of guy.

[@suzanneanderson6921]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. And your service.

[@kerrynatter2195]

Great man. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[@hnsdsmt23]

Great book Alex and respect for the man you wrote about.

[@mujtabaahmed6947]

There are exemplary heros this world honors us with .His story is so inspiring

[@robertomartinez6520]

Gracias por haberle hecho tanto bien a la humanidad, thank very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@StephenGrew]

A solid bloke and sensitive I reckon.

[@melscienerf5977]

This man's testimony is essential to the memory of what happened during ww2. Thankyou for filming and sharing this, it's so important.

[@joojoobaba]

Amazing. Gripping. Inspirational. Powerful.

[@silvana1746]

This is a real hero. They don't make them like this anymore. My father also survived the war. And he used to tell us about what it was like. Watching these interviews and listening to these people is like listening to my dad who is gone now. It is like putting the puzzle together

[@Jack.Doughnut]

Some man for one man. RIP Felix

[@Maxi0366]

You're the writer of "The Liberator!"

[@9997-g4g]

I believe every word you say,absolutely! Thank you .

[@naelsonsouto3507]

it looks a lot like the testimonies of the combatants I interviewed for school work, the great Felix the Sparks the Liberator!

[@robbiesmile3]

A true hero.

[@markbowman6655]

One of the few famous pictures that made it out of Dachau depict this on the Internet. Lt. Col. Felix Sparks is the famous man I think who stopped a teenage machine gunner "Birdeye" from shooting SS men lined up against a wall in the coal yard of Dachau, he fired his pistol in the air, and placed a noncom on the machine gun. I don't blame the Americans for shooting surrendering SS on site, they saw 30-40 box cars filled with dead bodies, the awful stench, and skeletal walking dead, etc.

[@Mike-01234]

I suspect there was more killing of SS men then was made public because there was testimony from an a Doctor who was with the US army said he witnessed it. He also witnessed inmates forcing Kapo's and other SS men to stand at attention much like the Germans did in these camps at roll call beaten if they moved a muscle. What I think happened is Sparks was probably lead away by men to look at something while these SS men were killed he didn't witness it personally other then the coal yard incident which famous picture your speaking about. There as some other killing which the 42nd division had done at the entrance where the main gate was I find interesting. Supposedly a scout from 42nd approached the gate was fired on from the main tower. The jeep left and a tank returned the SS guards came down from the tower and surrendered were killed by men who were using the tank as cover. Then according to the Swiss red cross man he came out with a white flag with him was a SS man in a black uniform. A LT who came from the tank spit in the SS mans face called him a swine in German. The SS man was taken to a jeep and driven around a bend in the road where the red cross guy said he heard a few shots. The jeep returned without the SS man, but I have never seen any interview with any US army who said they witnessed any of this. I suspect they just going to keep it a secret what really happened who cared anyway a few German SS men were killed. Some claim that these guys were not the camp SS who left a few days before these were regular Waffen SS but doesn't really matter they also murdered lot of people without any cause. Col Sparks was a real hero no one can dispute his testimony the famous picture of him is proof of that.

[@ken-dw4or]

@@Mike-01234 There was an inquiry by the US Army inspector general about the killings of the SS guards by the soldiers of the 157th INF. 45th Div. after the war was over in the ETO. General Patton then military governor of Bavaria dismissed the court martial charges against Lt Col Sparks & Lt. Howard Buechner. I read that when a soldiers from a company from 157th first came across the railroad cars before coming across Dachau they became so outraged what they had just saw in the cars including prisoners with their heads bashed in with rifle butts they had revenge on their minds. When they captured Dachau some soldiers held kangaroo courts on SS guards and shot them, others let the prisoners beat to death some SS guards with shovels as they stood and watch and then there is the incident with the machine gunner who open fire on the 30 SS guards saying they where to escape killing at least 15 and wounding some 15. I also read that these soldiers had been on the line for 90 days fighting, so what they saw must had been really dramatic for front line solders taking these actions.

[@lewisner]

@@Mike-01234 There's an interview with another Dachau liberator who showed up after Sparks unit and he mentioned finding the corpse of an SS man in "immaculate" uniform near the perimeter fence, presumably the camp commandant.

[@larriveeman]

the SS deserved to be executed, they were guilty, no doubt about it

[@arthursmith6854]

Gen Patton and Gen Eisenhower visited the camp shortly after liberation. Patton was reported to have vomited from the sights and foul odors.

[@Nolen_Sorento]

Felix "man of honor" sparks

[@cherylharewood2549]

Thank you

[@Zickcermacity]

Sparks so brave to retell what he saw! I would have gone insane had I been in his shoes that day.

[@wbl5649]

My dad was there at Dachau..42nd Rainbow, 222 Regiment, 2nd battalion

[@johnhealy7175]

A REAL MAN A HERO

[@nicolemaddison2945]

What an honest man.

[@billt7283]

I understand this is specific to the liberation. But I wish we could’ve heard him speak about his time in Italy. Kershaws book is one of my favorites and it would’ve been awesome to hear more

[@doreendaykin6693]

Alice in a nutshell. Do you not understand who is doing and providing this series.??? Seriously....this is USC SHOAH. This is a series on the history of holaucust NOT AMERICAN HISTORY SERIES. Please have some respect.

[@joellenjohnson4038]

A brave good man love him

[@lcj8206]

Thank you for sharing your story!

[@Paul5520]

Hero👍🇺🇸👊🏻

[@brianbrady4496]

I like how he gives his love to the combat engineers. Can't win a war without them

[@southerncross86]

Good this decent man was not treated with injustice by fake declarations from his very own comrades. Shame on them.

[@Mike-01234]

Netflix made a 4-part mini-series about Felix Sparks and his men it's called the liberator it's animated but still well made.

[@Mike-01234]

@folgore1942 Not sure if they were actors, they made it into animation looking. Would have been much better if it wasn't I agree. There are lot of survivor stories that would make great movies. They glossed over lot of what happened in Dachau wasn't all about Dachau I understand.

[@racheallange2056]

Odd how things end up..I was born and raised in Kentucky ...My husband is Bavarian ...Just a country gal ...We live in Ergoldsbach..Look up the town there is a very interesting story about world war 2..One that I wish more knew about...

[@leebowens2631]

I read the story of the liberation of Dachau, I believe Mr. Sparks was Captain or Lieutenant at the time and had a argument with a general, Sparks had a set of Cast Iron Balls.

[@jeffreylc]

He was a Lieutenant Colonel.

[@paudsmcmack3117]

I love the old foto of sparks in uniform. Also, haven't seen it in this video but I once read about him and an another high ranking coming to fisticuffs at Dachau. Heard that emotions where so high, he raised a pistol at Lindens head over messing with HIS men.

[@larriveeman]

these WW2 vets are a different breed, we do have some of the same now also, but we also have a bunch of whiney entitled ingrates

[@BrianJuntunen]

My family never talked about the war so I don’t know what happened with our folks.

[@amandad401]

I understand the sentiment of your comment, but even if they deserved what they got, the military has their own laws that you're required to follow at all times. Our military would be nothing without these laws and the strict disciplinary code that they live under.

[@moniquemonicat]

That is exactly the sentiment of Nazi Germany, they said they were required to follow their laws at all times and the Nazi military would be nothing without these laws and the strict disciplinary code that they live under too. So using law and "we were just following orders" or "we were just following the law" to justify crimes against humanity is futile. The only laws that are supreme are the laws of God and the laws of nature, if you prefer, spiritual law and natural law. When man's law condones crimes against humanity that changes all the rules. Even by Nazi law, the law of the land in Germany at the time of the liberation, it would be their law to be shot as well and this is how Nazi Germany carried out their own law. Every one of those Nazis in those camps just working there was committing a crime against humanity and the punishment for crimes against humanity is death.

[@themudpit621]

@@moniquemonicat respectfully, plenty of crimes against humanity go on to this day in the name of 'gods laws'. I'll never follow 'gods' laws or the brutal 'laws of nature', and I'd fight for a just and fair set of laws over the laws of a murderous fascist regime any day and I thank men like the one here testifying for doing so. I think that you here calling these two laws equivalent is outrageous. As much as we all feel that killing the ss officers was justified and fair and good, and I certainly don't judge the soldiers here discussed, it will always be better in the long run if war criminals face trial by the better set of laws.

[@donnaeve6084]

sad eyes

[@bumfit5491]

I wish my father had made a recording like this. The story he told was much the same, only more drinking and whores... he saw liberated Paris . Got off the train and was in jail in less than an hour. Gendarmes we’re picking on him . Off course..

[@almeggs3247]

Awesome thanks for your service God bless you and yours! My sincere sympathy on- -The death of your grandson! Thanks for mentioning the Catholic priests and nuns that were discriminated against!

[@almeggs3247]

Curious sir you may have passed by now since this interview was ten years ago but as you said at the end that we must be tolerant Of all others then what would you say to the fact that all our media is anti conservative anti traditional and anti republican?

[@jacksonbrazell2572]

It has actually been more than to years more like 25 years since

[@BudEnzo]

Tai Lopez referred me here. He is a very great person.

[@hopeforthefuture8680]

Always there will be those doing the dark things with dark plans for dark purposes and using as a shield the honorable to ruin reputations and torment with clandestine purposes: but thank you for being true to yourself and your country. You are an honorable man. May you be at peace. A just and eternal reckoning will terrorize those who have been appointed to suffer.

[@Johnnycdrums]

I wonder what happened to the court-marshaled men of the 42nd and 45th.

[@Mike-01234]

They were never court-marshaled because General Patton dismissed the charges.

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@Mike-01234 ; Good.

[@racheallange2056]

Sounds crazy but every time I run across the last name Sparks I study the face ...Sparks is my maiden name ...My father never knew his dad...I find that sad..but I still wonder who was my grandfather ..no match here...but still a very interesting listen ...

[@VirginiaCook-lx1qv]

The sound isn't very high. Can't hear this story!

[@WalterJoergLangbein]

The questions are difficult to understand for me, not loud enough.

[@claudiaperfetti7694]

I had to use headphones!!!

[@celticlofts]

The interviewer doesn't seem to be listening to his answers. "Did your family attend Church? Yes we attended the first Baptist church. What denomination? Baptist..

[@cecilialiebenfelss8827]

Such an remarkable man in the army,a nice wife with 52 years of marriage together.

[@Zickcermacity]

59:50 He's crying inside.

[@deltaboy767]

My grandfather was part of the liberation of Dachau, and he said he did shoot several SS officers when he saw the prisoners.

[@2000sancho]

Who saw the liberators in netflix based on this mans life

[@spacecatboy2962]

i am shocked that felix is so far off base when he says religion has killed more people than anything else. What religion was hitler, stalin, and moa

[@claudiaperfetti7694]

Very good your comment, I. Also wrote a comment to that end. Unfortunately it's a very common mistake! He is also wrong about Muslims being the largest religion. I wish more of these people would thank God for keeping the alive to tell their stories. Not a word of thankfulness to tjeir Creator. I am thankful for all he did for his country.

[@lVladness]

Hitler was a Christian

[@yvonnegrassi2701]

@@lVladness HITLER WAS NOT A CHRISTIAN.!!!!

[@cm1642]

Organized religion has been killing people since it started.

[@jacksonbrazell2572]

You must not know a lot of history since you legitimately only mentioned people who killed in the 20th century and religion has been around for thousands of years,

[@vintagevmax2410]

"I called her and said, let's get married she, said OK !"

[@tommy765100]

I made comments earlier that were incorec. I wanna apologize for that .

[@StephenGrew]

I'm so sorry to hear their loss. Brilliant effort to stop the gun lobby!

[@devinwhite104]

liberator was a great book. too bad hbo is probably done making ww2 mini series

[@anazacharias444]

2:11

[@mollypitcher9380]

What else may be incorrect in this investigation report?

[@jopaog]

Hitler a British agent mi6 , Hitler escaped Germany - Eyewitness report Aubrey M. Temples 82nd Airborne, German POW two-time Purple Heart & Bronze Star w/Valor recipient ... "Why was Hitler allowed to escape , because he did his job" ~ Al Bielek

[@StephenGrew]

It is insanity.... War and Discrimination!

[@thorawilson1466]

Leave it to a woman to mess things up

[@spacecatboy2962]

so felix was an anti gunner? Wow, people being armed could have ended the holocaust before it started. But he is a lawyer, and lawyer aint too bright. I wonder if he ever went after innocent people as prosecutor

[@Mike-01234]

It's a myth that people armed with hunting rifles and shotguns are able to withstand a military armed with heavy weapons, tanks, and an air force those are the kinds of weapons they had. They had to be fully registered as well when Hitler took power, he sent his men to collect all weapons.

[@perrottarober]

Man lost me at the antigun rhetoric. That's how most oppressive gun laws her enacted, knee jerk emotional reaction to a tragedy. Laws get passed that wouldn't have stopped the tragedy in the first place.

[@LoliHolic94]

Criminal! dachau massacre

[@sarahlara6702]

This man saved thousands of Innocent & starving prisoners, it's unfortunate that 500 German and Hungarian soldiers were killed, but that's War.

[@spacecatboy2962]

why should american tax money be spent on holocaust museums, since america didnt do the holocaust. Now if they want to do some for the indians, or the confederate states, then yeah

[@Gertiemarie50]

Because many dp's landed here. Many of us are Jewish or have ancestors who were affected. The US and allies served to free the victims of Nazis. There are several museums in honor of Americans. I visited many of them, as well as museums honoring underground railroads as a child.

[@spacecatboy2962]

@@Gertiemarie50 fund raise, dont tax

[@yvonnegrassi2701]

We don’t spend much. Most is by donation.

[@slisha4940]

There was quite a bit of anti Semitic issues in our government during the war. I do believe we should have more information and documentation on Native American people. There has been so much lost

[@thorawilson1466]

Its funded by the groups concerned who are perfectly free to do so.