Dachau Narrative

I stood there, unable to move as I absorbed the horrific scene before me. Smoke swirled around my head, choking my lungs and burning my eyes. The sky was so dismal against the roaring red flames that still sparked in the distance. The once great country of Germany lay in ruins surrounding me for miles. Massive cathedrals stood with their roofs torn off as the German people took shelter in their hallowed halls (Last Days of World War II). The American bombs had truly served their purpose, the city of Dachau was no more. “Beautiful isn’t it?” croaked the man behind me. I spun around to face him. “Private Degro sir” I saluted. He was a first class private (Who Was the First American…) and had aided the liberation of six camps already. I admired him greatly as he was no more than a year older than myself and this was merely my first time in the field. “All due respect sir, but what do you mean ‘beautiful’?” Degro smiled at me and said “It’s your first time out here isn’t it, Tinkham?” “Well, yes sir” “Oh just wait until we get to the Dachau concentration camp, …show more content…
Look at what they did! They don’t deserve life!” He shoved me backwards causing me to trip and fall. My head hit something soft below me and I turned to see what I had landed on. There were no words to describe the horrific scene that was before me. My throat closed as I inhaled the wretched scent of decaying flesh that clung to the dead bodies beneath me, or were they even bodies anymore. Most of them lay naked in a tangled mess of skin and bones. Their eyes remained open, reflecting their pain and suffering and I could hear their unanswered screams for mercy. I turned my head towards the train and saw dozens of boxcars, each containing at least a thirty mangled corpses (Dachau Death Train). These were once people, with dreams and lives and Degro was right the Germans got what they