- I had nightmares, of course, for
I would say, for a couple of months.
Waking up thinking that I'm still in the camps.
I was so happy
that I was in a real bed.
(serious piano music)
In order to have a little bit of pleasure,
let's say, which is,
there's not too much of it in the camps,
I made friends with two Polish kids.
We didn't get too much sleep, and we used to just get out
real early in the morning because in the barracks,
it was just crying and screaming,
and praying, and it wasn't unusual that a prisoner,
who was laying next to you, to go to sleep,
when you woke up, they were dead.
In any of these camps, everything is so the same
day in and day out that when anything unique happens,
that is not on the schedule,
you always immediately try to
talk about it.
Is this good news or bad news?
One morning, we came out and the first thing we saw
was that there no guards in the guard towers.
So, we are sneaking between the barracks towards the gate,
and lo and behold, nobody's there.
We get enough courage to go to the gate,
and we notice there's a heavy chain with a padlock on it,
and it's a very, very, foggy morning.
We are just dumbfounded.
All of a sudden, there's a break in the fog, like a mirage.
All you see is two horses with a horseman.
As he's coming closer, one of the Polish kids says to me,
"Look at his hat," and it was a red star, a Russian soldier.
He comes to the gate and he says,
"I'm advance guard, nobody can leave the camp,
"because there all sorts of diseases,
"you're full of lice,
"and you haven't been washed in four months."
But he says, as he takes out his gun,
shoots off the padlock,
"Doctors will be coming, medication will be coming,
"food will be coming very shortly."
So the three of us,
as fast as our skinny legs can carry us,
we go to every barrack in the vicinity,
open up the door, in every language that we know,
just yelling, "We are free, we are free."
And you'll never forget that moment,
the sounds from the barracks.
Those who are able to walk out to the sunlight walk out.
Those who can't walk,
crawling out.
I have to pass through a little area
where there are little bungalows.
This is where the SS families who are staying,
and they must have left in a big hurry,
because I go into one of the bungalows,
and I open up the closet, there clothing in there.
Open up the pantry,
food, and then I go into the bathroom,
and I turn on the water, hot water.
Fluffy towels, shampoo, soap I haven't seen for a year.
I make a little victory dance on my
prisoner uniform.
Get in there and take my first hot shower in a year.
It's wonderful.