• Prologue

    June 2, 1938

    Aushwitz, Poland

    All I see is darkness, in this overcrowded cattle car, my eyes have nothing to report. But my ears hear the crying, my nose registers the foul stench of human waste, and also, the sickly sweet scent of human remains.

    We could have seen this coming...had we taken the time to look, the signs were there for the past 6 years. With the coming to power of that crazed Austrian barbarian. Life has become increasingly difficult for us Jews. I used to own a car dealership in Munich, Germany. In 1935, My store, along with hundreds of others, were fire bombed, Hitlers secret police, his Gestapo, then killed my father, that should have been our warning to leave, and to leave quickly, with my family in tow.

    But I was stubborn, absolutly pig-headed about carrying on despite whatever hardships the "master" race may throw our way. Now I pay for my foolish pride. Im crammed in a train car, along with a hundred or so other men, Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, all those seen unfit to live along side Aryans. I didnt realize it then, but we wernt moved to live elsewhere...we were moved to die.

    My family also payed for my pride, my wife and three daughters went aboard a different train...I can still see my little girls tears, as she shouted "Please stay with us daddy"...At that time, an armed SS officer-you can ID them by the Lightning Bolts upon their stiff, starched hats-...He took my little girl from my grasp, and threw her in the car like so much luggage...He then butted my head with a WW1 era handgun (amazing the details your mind picks out under stress)...In my last moments before blacking out, I heard the words "Dachuao" and I saw the SS Officer pointing at my wifes train...from there its all black

    I woke up in this festering cattle cart to the feeling of something wet, warm, and pungent drifting by my nose. I rose up in shock when I realized my face was layed in a puddle of urine...Shaking off the filth from my face, I realized for the first...and not the last time on this trip to Hell...that I was in all probability, going to die in the next 72 hours...with that knowledge in mind, I slept for the rest of that cold, dark journey...when I awoke, I peered through a hole the size of nail...I saw my new residence