Kevin & Sharon

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Kevin's father, Willard Tanner, helped liberate the 21,000 Holocaust victims at Buchenwald. Throughout Kevin's childhood, Willard talked about his unforgettable experience on April 11, 1945. The following pictures tell some of his story.

Military patch like Kevin's dad Willard wore on his army uniform the day he helped liberate Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Willard served under General George Patton.

This patch was displayed in the museum at Buchenwald.

How can I explain this one? A victim from the Buchenwald Concentration Camp enters into a sterile medical area with an eye chart, human anatomy chart, personnel with white bands and a red cross on their sleeves. The Holocaust victim stands up against this measuring stick to "have his height measured." He is shot in the spine by a gunman on the other side of the wall. This murdurer shoots the bullet through the little slot on the measuring stick

Jenny should have lived long enough to outgrow this shoe . . . . .

Buchenwald Concentration Camp

Kevin examines the ovens at the crematorium at Buchenwald Concentration Camp. There were 6 ovens on this side and a similar number behind this wall. The ovens were not able to keep up with the number of corpses available for cremation.

Ashes were indiscrimately placed in urns.

Kristin by the crematorium at Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Numerous corpses were incinerated simultaneously, until the liberation on April 11, 1945. When Kevin's Dad Willard entered Buchenwald that day, stench filled the air as the crematorium was in active use. Those American soldiers never forget that stench.

MERRY_CHRISTMAS

What beautiful holiday wreathes. God's gift of a Son to be our personal Savior, for our sin.

Suzanne shares my middle name. This Holocaust Victim is not forgotten. Her hopes and dreams were destroyed by evil.

A soup bowl and silverware used by a holocaust victim. Each day's food was a bowl of thin soup, piece of bread width of a thumb, and a slab of butter equal to 3 sticks of gum. Out of this, they were expected to work hard (to avoid summary execution) and to keep warm (colder longer winters with latitude north of Faulkton, and no heat!). This photo is a tribute to each victim's suffering:

NEVER AGAIN!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Preview of next posting

Today me went to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp in northern Germany. It was both a grim and a personal experience. Kevin's father Willard liberated Buchenwald on April 11, 1945. I will post a few of the pictures soon.

Daily life in Germany

Ramstein AFB's commissary is the busiest grocery store I have ever seen. With the dollar going go against the Euro (this week anyway!), military personnel are shopping on base. Plus, it is hard to shop for foods they are accustomed to in Germany's civilian grocery stores. Kristin is walking toward the camera.

Patriotic Milk at Ramstein's commissary. USAFE headquarters is at Ramstein.

The German toilet has a square seat. To flush, you must push on the metal device on the wall. It uses less water than we do, but is quite effective.

Outside of our bedroom is a light switch and outlet combination. You get undressed for bed, then feel you must get dressed again to reach into the hallway to turn off the light!

The refrigerator is behind the "cabinet" door. The freezer is below and consists of several drawers. The pantry on the right of the refrigerator pulls out.

German Refrigerators are hidden by what appear to be kitchen cabinet doors. This is Ryan and Kristin's kitchen.

The cheese pretzels from the local bakery are Kevin's favorite breakfast in Germany. He regrets that he will no longer see these delicacies in the USA.