Wednesday, July 02, 2003

I’ve always been fascinated by the Holocaust, Hitler, and the circumstances of World War II. Mostly because it seemed unbelievable that people would allow such evil to continue as long as it did without at least attempting to stop it. My childish mind couldn’t conceive of such events, but as I grew older I learned that we humans are deeply flawed and selfish. To the point that we’ll not act when we know we should because it’s often not going to be pleasant.

My grandfathers both served in WWII--I never got the chance to learn from my paternal grandfather about his experiences with the Navy during the war. He died when I was 10 or 11. But my maternal grandfather was career Army and he’s still alive today at the ripe old age of 85.

He served with Patton in Africa. He narrowly missed D-Day because of a hernia. He helped liberate a concentration camp (I don’t know which one, he won’t talk about it). He was a communications officer, so I’m sure he’s got a ton of stories. And he’s faithful to go to each and every reunion of his fellow warriors (that are still alive).

Anyway, I say all this to say that we must never forget what men like my grandfather fought against and for. And others feel the same way. BigWig has an excellent essay about the holocaust along with some well hidden photographic evidence (along with some well researched history behind the photo) that it did, in fact, occur. They are gruesome, but a much needed reminder of that which we can never allow to happen again.

[via craig]