Richard R. Seibel - The US Colonel Who Discovered One of Germany's Worst Camps

[@mgmmac36]

My Dad was in on the liberation of Dachau. In his later years he spoke of what he witnessed. He also had nightmares his entire life, brought on of what he saw.

[@War_And_Truth]

I can understand that. I'm not sure how you would get your head around it.

[@sailordude2094]

Fascinating story, told unbiased, thanks for the video. I don't feel sorry for old camp guards being imprisoned in 2024.

[@War_And_Truth]

Thank you. And yes age didn't undo their crimes.

[@pfdrtom]

The best channel out there!

[@War_And_Truth]

I appreciate that.

[@TravisHRF16CC]

Col. Seibel was assigned to the 11th Armored Division. My father was in the 11th as well, but he was not involved in the Mauthausen liberation, but word spread fast.

[@War_And_Truth]

Thanks for sharing.

[@tundranomad]

Terrible shame that people today disbelieve that these camps even existed.

[@colleenbush3608]

When my daughter who did a report for Social studies did a report about the holocaust..my neighbor next door was German..so she went over to her home and asked about the holocaust..she said that it was not true..she said that it was all a hoax..my daughter came home crying..I never spoke that woman again. That was 25 years ago..😢😢😢

[@War_And_Truth]

They are having a dig at the Jews no doubt.

[@RivetGardener]

I had a 5th Grade math teacher lady who had the tattoo on her forearm. I didn't know what those numbers meant at the time.

[@War_And_Truth]

She was lucky to have made it out.

[@peterbrown3608]

I'm not used to such abrupt endings from War & Truth, but still, very good and informative video.

[@War_And_Truth]

Yeah I didn't feel right talking about anything else after that subject.

[@PaxAlotin]

It's sad to think that even under such conditions ----- such prisoners --- still found reason to hate each other.

[@dlxmarks]

The enemy of my enemy may very well still be a complete bastard. Easy to see why the Poles would hate the Germans and the Soviets.

[@War_And_Truth]

Even more so when it comes to life and death.

[@PaxAlotin]

@@War_And_Truth Two books highlight this seemingly anachronistic behavior. Primo Levi's 'book 'If this is a Man' and Alexander Solzhenitsyn's book -'One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich', Both highlight the paradox of such self-inflicted suffering that adds to the pain - rather than lessen it.

[@dlxmarks]

The enemy of my enemy might very well be my other enemy especially when it came to the Soviets.

[@Stoney_AKA_James]

LEST WE FORGET!

[@War_And_Truth]

Yes

[@sammyseguin2978]

I understand Luftwaffe had their blood type tattooed on their arm as well.

[@dlxmarks]

I haven't seen anything about the Luftwaffe having them on a widespread basis. The Brandenburgers, a special forces unit under the Abwehr, is the only other German group I know of that had the tattoos as standard policy.

[@War_And_Truth]

I have not heard that before.

[@Ostheim]

Luftwaffe personnel never did that, just the SS.

[@sammyseguin2978]

@@War_And_Truth I saw a documentary years ago (can't remember the name, maybe The History Chanel before they covered junk collectors) there was a German pilot who had been shot down, wounded and captured. His blood type was tattooed on the inside of his arm. He was concerned he would be mistaken for SS. Maybe he was a "one off."

[@dlxmarks]

@@sammyseguin2978 Hey, the History Channel does more than cover junk collectors. They feature ancient aliens, ice road truckers, ax men, and swamp people at least as much. 😂

[@KOHTAOMURDERSDEATHISLAND]

👍👍

[@lancomedic]

Question: Is that commandant the source of the scene in which Roe and Webster are depicted of shooting a former SS?

[@War_And_Truth]

Easy Company was in Kaprun which is 3 hours from Mauthausen so it wouldn't have been the same man despite the circumstances being almost identical.

[@colleenbush3608]

Hugh!! I never heard of doc Roe or Webster ever shot a german soldier..Doc Roe never even carried a weapon?? Is this correct.

[@War_And_Truth]

@@colleenbush3608 He has confused Eugene Roe with Liebgott. Webster was also not on that patrol in reality.

[@colleenbush3608]

Ty for letting me know ❤❤

[@lancomedic]

@@War_And_Truth Yes, You are correct. My mixup.

[@paulgdunsford7469]

Out of blood plasma that’s chilling from an American doctor and officer

[@War_And_Truth]

Colonels are the toughest military men IMO. He kept him alive long enough to get what information he could out of him.

[@alericc1889]

I would not have been able to contain myself had I walked into one of those camps. I understand why some of the G.I.s executed the guards they found there.

[@War_And_Truth]

It would be hard not to.

[@skipsmoyer4574]

At least I.know now who brought oat bread here.

[@War_And_Truth]

Would be crazy if that was actually true.

[@rickb1973]

Photo at 1:37......Anti-Fascist Spaniards in a German concentration camp?

[@TravisHRF16CC]

If I recall Franco sent many anti-fascists including socialists and communists to Germany for internment or disposal.

[@localbod]

I found this information online with the same photograph. I have translated the Spanish text: On May 5, 1945, when the 11th Armored Division of the American Army entered Mauthausen, Republican flags had replaced the Nazi flags, and at the camp gate a large banner read: "Antifascist Spaniards salute the liberating forces." Franco ignored the prisoners when Hitler informed him that he had Spaniards in his camps. Little is said about what is not wanted. I have already had the opportunity to write about the suffering of the 7,532 Spaniards who passed through the Mauthausen camp between 1940 and 1945, marked with a blue triangle and an "S" for Spanier in the center. There they learned what they could never have imagined existed. Republicans who fled across the French border in the last months of the civil war, those who formed part of the French army or the resistance. Women and children who came from the refugee camps in the south of France. 2,335 survived. 9 million people were killed during the war in Nazi camps, such as the Mauthausen-Gusen complex. When the war ended in Spain, fleeing from Franco and the bloody fascist repression, nearly five hundred thousand Republicans crossed the borders into Europe. Collaborationist France received them badly and they were interned in refugee camps in the worst conditions. The French defeat led to thousands of them becoming prisoners of the Third Reich, for defending freedom and fighting against Nazism. All these men and women, victims of the war, suffered the cruel regime of the Nazi dictatorship. Franco's government never recognized them as Spanish citizens. The Republicans deported to the Nazi camps, with the decision to exterminate them, were no longer considered prisoners of war, becoming stateless, a decision taken by the Spanish authorities, the Nazis and the Vichy government. Medical experiments, with bleeding to death; hangings, shootings and gas chambers. Destruction and misery; hatred and extermination, suffering and deaths caused; today it continues to occur in many places on the planet. What has happened in history and what is happening today shows what the human being is capable of. The Council of Ministers of last April 26th has agreed to establish May 5th as "Day of Tribute to the Spanish deported and deceased in Mauthausen and in other camps and to all the victims of Nazism in Spain." The liberation of Europe did not mean for the Republicans the end of the war. Most of them could not return to Spain. Francoism and the Francoists prevented them from doing so. They found asylum in other decent countries. Now, for justice, the Spanish State has to ask for forgiveness and clear up "its responsibilities" for the hardships to which so many Spaniards were subjected; as well as to repair the consequences derived from the exile and deportations of those freedom fighters. In memory of the Spanish deportees and those who died in concentration camps and all the Spanish victims of Nazism and all the people who suffered captivity, torture and death for defending freedom in Spain and abroad, democracy and social justice.

[@TravisHRF16CC]

@ Thanks for that! Much appreciated.

[@rickb1973]

Amazing....I had never heard the story of the Spanish Republicans who fled to France. My heart goes out to the long suffering and sacrifice of the brave people. Thank you very much for this information.

[@War_And_Truth]

Thanks localbod for providing that information. Its amazing the variety of people who were in these camps.

[@chadm6981]

Love how back in the day DDT powder was fine, if only they knew what problems it would cause later.

[@War_And_Truth]

A lot of things were like that.