Two Short Stories - Warning - May Bring Tears

Yom Hashoah was very special last Sunday night at the Tri Cities Jewish Center in Rock Island. Esther Schiff - the last of my friends named Esther - and her husband Saul sat in front of us. Young children from throughout the synagogue came forward to meet her, have a picture taken with her and get her autograph. It happened more times than I could count - before the meeting and after.

Now you must remember this is the Esther who didn't go speak in the schools due to nightmares. She didn't get the compassion from the kids - the teary eyed hugs and encouragement - until Sunday night. She was treated like a National Treasure and I was blessed to be a witness to it. She cried - I cried.

An article was in the Rock Island Argus about my children's book project last Saturday. After reading the article, a prison camp liberator by the name of Art Kouski from Port Byron called me. He wanted to meet and share his story with me. I had coffee with him yesterday and he is P&P (precious and prepared)! He has taken writing classes over the years so he could document his experience.

Roy's platoon liberated a work camp where people were worked until they died. They were used to man a factory in Ludwigslust, Germany. His story:

"They all wore striped suits and were marched into town each morning and returned at night. They lived in terrible conditions, were emaciated, full of lice and had no sanitation. When someone died they carried him out and threw him on the pile. The weaker ones could not compete for food so they wasted away. When someone tells you these things didn't happen or they weren't so bad, I can assure you I seen what I am telling you about with my own two eyeballs."

"The soldiers could not trust the German people in the city and there was a shoot on site curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The survivers from the work camp were killing the German civilians and vice versa. Our orders were to round them up and take them to a camp where they could be helped. The last thing they wanted to do ws go to another camp but for their safety, we had to do this. "

"I found a young 12 or 13 year old boy in a striped suit who could speak several languages. He said he would help me round up these people if I would let him go. He could talk them into coming with us and this way, we gathered up a lot of them.

When we decided we had most of them, I broke my promise by telling him to get on the truck too. I will never forget the hate in his eyes for my deception. I probably saved his life. His name is Paul and he is a survivor so he may be still living. I would sure like to meet him and explain why I let him down all those years ago."

We rounded up all the civilians in town, old men, women and children at gun point and made them dig graves in the park in front of their government building. They brought over 200 of the dead from the camp. There was a service held for them and I still have copies of the Chaplain's message.

Most of the people were buried in a mass grave at the camp. I heard 1,080 bodies total."

Deb - I will be talking to Roy's grandaughter Brittany, a high school student in the Chicago area, about writing his story in children's story book form. In addition, I've talked to Sara from the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC who works in archieves. She is going to go on a search for Paul and see if she can find him. If so, Roy will find peace with the little boy he saved so long ago. He told me it still haunts him and he would like to find closure.

Please say a prayer - we need a miracle.