John Weil summary

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John Weil *

I was born in Moenchengladbach, Germany on April 2, 1920 where I had a happy and normal childhood. I went to public school, played soccer and had many friends, both Jewish and Christian. My family lived in Germany since 1720 and my father was a veteran of W. W. I.

My Bar Mitzvah was in 1933 - the year Hitler came to power. From then on our lives were dramatically changed. I remember the Nazi parades, the boycott of Jews, the Nuremberg Laws in 1935, the antisemitic slogans, the window smashings and my families' search for a way to get out of Germany.

During Kristallnacht in November 1938, my father was arrested by the Gestapo and taken to Dachau. Three days later I fled to England through Holland to meet my brother. A bribe from my mother got my father released and his parents joined us in December. In June 1940 we came to the U.S. and I became very angry when Americans did not believe their tales of horror.

I joined the U.S. Army and served in the Pacific. I later learned that my mother's two sisters were killed in the camps.

While visiting my hometown in Germany, I related my experience to high school students. Whenever I tell my story, I urge people to learn from history and "never forget."

My wife Faye and I have four children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

*Deceased