It was long ago and far away, but the memories of what he saw during the early part of April 1945 linger yet. He dreams about World War II, and the horrors of war still haunt him; he recalls every little detail as if it had been only yesterday, rather than 67 years ago.
Explanation:
Martin, who then was a S2 (Intelligence Officer), reported what he'd seen to his colonel, who in turn passed it on up the ladder of command. Later Sundt ordered Martin to remain at the camp and prepare for a visit from Generals Dwight Eisenhower, Patton and Omar Bradley and high-ranking members of their respective staffs.
This concentration camp was the first discovered by American troops, and the military leaders wanted to see what horrors the Germans had wrought on other human beings.
"I went into the nearby town of Ohrdruf, took over a house and cleaned up," Martin recalled. "I got a good night's rest and was ready when Eisenhower and his entourage arrived. Before I saw any of them, a colonel came up to the gate where I was standing and asked me how long I had been there, what was inside and could I guide the tour.
"I told him, 'Yes, sir.' and he relayed the information to Gen. Eisenhower," he said. "Then he and his group came up and I opened the gate for them and showed them all the horrible things in the camp."
Officially, Ohrdruf was liberated on April 4 by the 4th Armored Division and the 89th Infantry Division. Martin said he and some of the 65th Division had gotten mixed in with the 89th, since they were side by side in the field.
"It was a huge camp, and I only saw part of it," he said, "I don't know how many Americans were there, or what units they were with."
He doesn't remember the exact dates, but thinks it was about April 8 when he arrived, and that Eisenhower came on April 12th or 15th. The Nazi crimes made such an impact on Eisenhower that he asked for members of Congress and journalists to see and report to the public the horrible atrocities.
Martin said 20 years later, when he was in Congress, Eisenhower, then an ex-president, had invited him and three other congressmen to have breakfast at his farm near Gettysburg, Pa.
"I reminded him that I had been the young captain who had opened the gate for him at the concentration camp," Martin said. "The general remembered the occasion and talked about the horrible atrocities the Germans had committed."
Ohrdruf was a sub-camp of Buchenwald and was the first concentration camp to be liberated. There would be others during the coming month, many of which were much larger camps. Just days before the war ended, Martin also saw the labor camp at Mauthausen
