HAVE SERVED OR SERVE TO PROTECT
US ALL.
A 95-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO GREW
UP RIGHT HERE IN BALTIMORE
HELPED FREE PRISONERS OF A
GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMP
DURING
WORLD WAR II.
CASSIE CARLISLE
REMINDS US WHY WE PAY OUR
RESPECTS THIS VETERANS DAY.
MY PARENTS WERE EUROPEAN
PEOPLE.
THEY SPOKE NO ENGLISH
AT ALL.
WE ONLY SPOKE ID ISSUE.
Reporter: CHEEK -- YIDDISH.
Reporter: I REMEMBER ONE OF
THE TEACHERS PINNING A NOTE ON
MY JACKET WITH A DIAPER PIN AND
I FOUND OUT LATER THE NOTE SAID
"DO NOT RETURN THIS CHILD UNTIL
HE CAN COMMUNICATE."
Reporter: HE OFTEN WENT OUT
TO PLAY SPORTS WITH HIS FRIENDS
GROWING UP.
EATING, TALKING, GABBING
HEADING FOR THE STREET CAR TO
TAKE US BACK HOME, AND IN THOSE
DAYS YOU HAD EXTRA PAPER, READ
ALL ABOUT IT, PEARL HARBOR
BOMBED.
Reporter: THAT SHOCK STARTED
HIS MILITARY YEAR.
HE WAS IN
THE NATIONAL GUARD A MONTH
LATER
THEN THE ARMY.
DURING HIS
SERVICE HE NELL LOVE AT A
SORORITY PARTY.
-- HE FELL IN LOVE AT A
SORORITY PARTY.
WE STARTED UP THE STEPS AND
IN
THE DOOR COME THIS PRETTY GIRL
THAT LOOKED INTERESTING.
Reporter: THEY HIT IT OFF
AND
NEVER STOPPED DATING.
THE
WEDNESDAY BEFORE THEY WERE
MARRIED, HE RECEIVED ORDERS
THAT
HE WAS GOING OVERSEAS TO FIGHT
IN THE WAR.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE
DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING HE TOLD
HIS FIANCEE THE NEWS.
HE SAID
HE WOULD COME BACK FOR HER.
I'VE GOT TO GET HOME BECAUSE
OF HERS.
Reporter: ONCE OVERSEAS HE
QUICKLY ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS.
HIS ABILITY TO SPEAK OTHER
LANGUAGES MADE HIM INVALUABLE.
IN 1945 HE RECEIVED ORDERS THAT
WOULD CHANGE HIS LIFE.
THERE'S A PLACE CALLED DOCK
HELL 10 MILES NORTH OF WHERE
YOU
ARE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN
LIBERATED OR NOT, HE SAID.
TAKE
A FEW OF YOUR MEN WITH YOU JUST
IN CASE.
WHAT I SAW ABSOLUTELY
DESTROYED ME.
I WAS LOOKING AT
CORPSES WALKING.
I WAS LOOKING
AT STACKS OF BODIES COMPLETELY
NAKED, STACKED UP, AND
APPARENTLY THEY WERE GOING TO
PUT THEM INTO THE FURNACE.
Reporter: HE TOLD THE CROWD
HELP WAS COMING, BUT PRISONERS
WERE WARY.
HE SAID I CAN SPEAK YIDDISH.
Reporter: HE SAID TEST ME
AND
WAS ASKED HOW HE WAS CALLED UP
TO READ THE TORAH.
HE RESPONDED
WITH HIS HEBREW NAME.
WE GAVE THEM WHATEVER FOOD WE
HAD.
THEY WERE KISSING MY
HANDS.
THEY WERE TRYING TO
REACH MY FEET TO KISS MY FEET.
Reporter: HIS MEMORIES VIVID
TO THIS DAY.
I STILL DON'T LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT IT.
IT DOESN'T DO ME -- I
DON'T GET ANY PLEASURE OUT OF
IT
AT ALL.
Reporter: THE HOLE CAST
CHANGED HIM -- HOLOKOST CHANGED
HIM -- HOLOCAST CHANGED HIM.
BEFORE THE CAR STOPPED I WAS
OUT OF THE DOOR AND RUNNING
TOWARD HIM AND HE WAS RUNNING
FORD ME -- TOWARD ME.
IT WAS
FANTASTIC.
BUT WE DIDN'T SAY A WORD.
NOTHING.
NOT ONE WORD.
ALL THE WAY HOME WE SAT THERE
AND GIGGLED.
