Concentration Camp Liberators Oral History Project
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Interviewer
Hirsh, Michael
Publication Date
June 2008
Abstract
Oral history interview with Holocaust concentration camp liberator Leonard S. Parker. Parker was a sergeant in the 45th Infantry Division, which liberated Dachau on April 29, 1945. When his unit approached the camp, the gate was open and the prisoners were coming out. The soldiers gave them chocolates, and Parker, who had been a boy cantor, sang Yiddish songs to them. Parker went into the barracks and the crematorium and walked alongside the camp's death train. Several of the soldiers from his platoon killed some of the German guards, and Parker was unable to stop them. Parker's division stayed in Dachau for several hours until the Red Cross arrived and slept outside the camp that night. In this interview, Parker also describes a battle at Aschaffenburg where he earned the Silver Star for his actions.
Keywords
Concentration camps--History--Germany, World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Germany, World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Liberation, World War, 1939-1945--Atrocities, World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American, World War, 1939-1945--Veterans--United States, Jewish veterans--United States--Interviews, Veterans--United States--Interviews, Genocide, Crimes against humanity
Holding Location
University of South Florida
Language
English
Media Type
Oral histories
Format
audio/mp3
Identifier
C65-00100
Recommended Citation
Parker, Leonard Sam, "Leonard Sam Parker oral history interview" (2008). Concentration Camp Liberators Oral History Project. 88.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/concentration_OH/88
Rights Statement
