A fateful day this was, April thirtieth of 'forty-five. I was making my rounds across the base and examining a document sent to me by General Callahan back in the United States, little did I know this day would change my life.
"Sir, we-we've come across something in the northeast part of Dachau while we were on patrol." Jack stammered out continuing to walk with me while I read the letter from my dear colleague and special advisor.
I looked up from the document and over at him quickly, my eyes scanning every movement he made and his almost terrified facial expressions.
"Jack, Jack! Slow down. What is it?" I barked, stopping in my tracks and eyeing him with a bit of concern.
"I-I don't know sir. I don't know. You wouldn't believe it even if I could make a description of it." He breathed out. He seemed panicked and shaken up. Whatever he saw must've left a mark on him.
I sighed heavily and nodded, "Show me your findings," I said folding my documents up and placing them in one of my front pockets on my uniform.
"Follow me Colonel." He responded walking back towards the exit of the base while I turned around and followed him.
He sauntered over to the pygmy which was already packed with two other men who were ecstatic to join the expedition into the northeast territories of Dachau. I opened the door to the small rugged vehicle and stepped inside, using the keys that were already in the ignition to power up the roaring engine and start out for the northeast.
The drive wasn't too far away from the base, but it wasn't very close either it was about ten miles from our small base. I didn't have the slightest clue of what I would encounter or what Jack had seen that made him so frightened, but I was sure it wouldn't be anything else I hadn't seen in the war.
"It's in the woods?" I asked raising an eyebrow, a confused expression spreading all over my face.
Jack nodded at me, "Over there," he pointed to a tall fenced in area that held what looked to be people.
I drove over to the side of the fence parking the vehicle, but not too close since I wasn't aware of what I'd be witnessing. The two other burly trucks that followed parked behind me; fifteen or more men exiting them and awaiting my next instructions.
I exited the vehicle also walking over to Jack and the others that had gotten out before me. I noticed one of my men was squatting down; his back was turned towards the fence and his gun in the dirt next to him. He also looked disturbed. He must've arrived here before with Jack.
I diverted my eyes from him towards the direction of the fence and when I got a closer look I noticed a bunch of women.
Women wearing dresses with ties around them, women wearing blankets around their shoulders, women wearing scarves on their heads, even women wearing pajamas? Striped pajamas. The only thing they had in common was the pale skin and the grim look on their faces.
As I stepped closer to the gates, some of my Lieutenants opened them up for me. The smell of death and disease growing stronger and stronger with every step I took. Some of my men even covered their noses with spare handkerchiefs because the smell was so foul.
"Sir." Jack gestured, turning to face me and standing patiently.
"Open the second gate." I said my eyes never leaving any of the women directly in front of me, not even for a split second.
A few of the Privates came forward one carrying large pliers in his hand to cut the chain and the other ordering everyone in the area to stand back while they clipped the chain on the gate and pushed the second gate open. The men took off their rifles aiming them in front of them just incase anything were to happen, but nothing did. The women only held the gate for us.
I began to walk towards them and into the arrangement of the makeshift camp, Jack standing close to my side. Not a word escaping his chapped lips. I noticed a few small fires in odd places, but what I mostly saw was bodies of young women. They were thin, scrawny, pale bodies.
Looking at all the desperate faces saddened me, as they attached their cold hands to the cuffs and sleeves of my jacket. More and more of the women crowded around the soldiers that poured into the space, looking more and more grieved than before.
"Jack does anyone speak German?"
"No sir, not that I know of." Jack frowned.
And then it clicked.
"Bachmeier. Go get Bachmeier. Hurry!" I pleaded. The shakiness in my voice becoming more prominent, as I spoke.
He nodded and ran off to go get him calling his name endlessly.
"What's with the stars?" Philip asked peering over at me to which I gave no response, but a simple shrug.
When Jack came back with Bachmeier; he saluted me and then asked me what the issue was.
"Do you speak German?" I asked.
"Some. Why?"
"I need you to act as a translator for me," I recited taking off my helmet and holding it against my chest, "the rest of you get these women some blankets, water and give them any rations you have left." I bellowed taking Bachmeier with me and Jack also. We all walked together further into the camp passing women left and right; some laying dead on the rough soil and others limping towards the rest of the troops.
I looked around for any younger women who could speak to us, but found none except a timid girl around the age of her early twenties helping an elderly woman out of what I assumed was their hut.
"Her." I pointed my finger at the girl who was wearing some kind of pale blue overalls and a striped shirt she was wearing as a jacket. She had a rag tied around her curly black hair that billowed out into the musty air and big brown eyes that were full of hope and despair.
I gestured for her to come over to me, but she didn't hardly move because the elderly woman hardly could, so I sent for Jack and Nathaniel to help the withered old woman.
"Follow me." I commanded as I jogged over to the girl with Bachmeier behind me.
"Ask her who runs this place."
Bachmeier nodded in agreement and began to speak German to the young girl who in return nodded to show she understood and responded back in German.
"Die läuft diesen Ort?"
"Soldaten." She replied back to him.
"She said it's ran by soldiers, the German ones no doubt." He glanced over at me and then back at her.
"Ask her where they are."
Again Bachmeier began to speak German and she did too until he found out what we needed to know, the cycle went on like this for what seemed like forever.
"She said they left this morning, they shot most of the girls and burned them in the huts over near the back of the camp, some were alive," he explained, "they didn't have enough ammo for the rest of the girls so they locked the gate and headed south."
I simply shook my head in disbelief and rubbed the crease of my forehead with my thumb gently trying desperately to process what went on in here.
"Someone in town must've tipped them off." Nathaniel added.
"Probably." Bachmeier shrugged.
"What kind of camp is this? Ask her that John." Nathaniel spoke out licking his bottom lip. It was evident that he was just as nervous as me.
"Welche Art von Lager ist das?"
"Arbeitslager für Juden." She spoke, her soft brittle voice squeaking over the wailing women in the background.
"It's..uh..a Jewish work camp."
"For just the Jews?" I narrowed my eyebrows.
Bachmeier spoke again asking her about the camp just as I did.
"Nein, nein," she shook her head, "Polen und Zigeuner zu."
"She says there's Poles and Gypsies here as well."
"Männerlager ist nach unten auf der nächsten Eisenbahn wiederum." She cried, looking around briefly and pointing over to the direction that we came in, Bachmeier looking there as well.
"She says the men's camp is down at the next railroad turn." He replied, his voice almost dropped below a whisper.
I nodded quietly and gazed around in pensive thought wondering what in the hell I was going to do next.
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So this is the first chapter I hope you loved it as much as I do. Leave your thoughts, vote, share, etc etc.