The Horry County native was sent to Fort Bragg, N.C. and then to Europe in 1945. In April 1945 at Orsdorf Death Camp, he saw stacks of dead bodies and those left alive suffering from acute malnutrition. At Mulhausen Concentration Camp in Austria, he found wagons full of bodies stacked like cordwood; a gas chamber lined with shower stalls; a crematorium. Those still alive were malnourished to the point of little communication. The soldiers secured Pershing Airfield in Austria and moved prisoners into barracks that had been converted into hospitals. Thousands came in; hundreds died from malnutrition. Many talked about their camp experiences. He feels we need to encourage children to finish school and to get involved in politics in order to prevent ever having a dictator like Hitler again.
Standards
- Along with the rest of the world, the United States and South Carolina experienced economic instability during this period. As a result, political instability and worldwide conflict consumed the world in the 1940s. Following World War II, the United States emerged as a world leader through political policies and economic growth.
- The modern era has seen an increase in global interdependence culturally, economically, and politically since 1920. The advent of technology has fueled the interconnectedness of the world. Civil rights and independence have been at the forefront of this era; however, tensions remain in how to achieve these goals.
- 7-4 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes and effects of world conflicts in the first half of the twentieth century.
- The influence of both world wars and the worldwide Great Depression are still evident. To understand the effects these events had on the modern world, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
- 7-4.5 Summarize the causes and course of World War II, including drives for empire, appeasement and isolationism, the invasion of Poland, the Battle of Britain, the invasion of the Soviet Union, the "Final Solution," the Lend-Lease program, Pearl Harbo...
- 7-4.6 Analyze the Holocaust and its impact on European society and Jewish culture, including Nazi policies to eliminate the Jews and other minorities, the Nuremberg trials, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the rise of nationalism in Southwest...
- The influence of both world wars and the worldwide Great Depression are still evident. To understand the effects these events had on the modern world, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
- This indicator was designed to promote inquiry into military and economic policies during World War II, to include the significance of military bases in South Carolina. This indicator was also developed to foster inquiry into postwar economic developments and demographic changes, to include the immigration of Jewish refugees following the Holocaust.
- USHC-7 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the impact of World War II on the United States and the nation’s subsequent role in the world.
