us-005578-irn517808-irn518245
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Rectangular paper with black English text enclosed in a gold and green painted wooden frame with black mat board. Across the center is handwritten text in blue marker. diagonally across center, handwritten text in blue marker : I WAS TheRe / ON The BRidge iN A Jeep / BehiNd A MAchiNe guN / GuARdiNg the AMeRiCAN / GeNeRAL WAlKeR.
scope and content: Article from The 65th Halbert newsletter, Spring 1987, p. 25 and 26, with handwritten statement: I was there on the bridge in a jeep behind a machine gun guarding the American General Walker. The article discusses an event from WWII in which J. George Mitnick participated while serving in Europe with the US Army. Mitnick, a 27 year-old Jewish American, served as a captain in the 65th Infantry Division, European Theater and in the Chemical Warfare Service, 91st Chemical Mortar Battalion, 45th Infantry Division. His unit took control of the Ohrdruf concentration camp in April 1945; nearly all the inhabitants were dead, killed by the departing German troops. This was the first concentration camp liberated by US troops and descriptions of the conditions horrified the world. Mitnick’s unit continued on into Austria and was involved with the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp. Captain Mitnick was awarded two Bronze Stars for his service.
type: RecordSet
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn517808-irn518245/alternateIDs/1
has or had holder: us-005578
identifier: irn518245
record resource extent: overall: Height: 16.000 inches (40.64 cm) | Width: 22.500 inches (57.15 cm) | Depth: 0.750 inches (1.905 cm)
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn517808-irn518245/acquisitions/1
is or was included in: us-005578-irn517808
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
has beginning date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1987-01-01
biographical history: J. George Mitnick (1917-2005) was born in Hartford Connecticut to David and Rose Mitnick (nee Schwartz). George was the youngest of six children and was raised in a conservative religious home. After high school, George attended the University of Connecticut. Due to family financial stress, George left school after two years and got a job at a supermarket. After a year, he began working at the lumber company owned by his father and two uncles. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, George enlisted in the Army. George trained at camp Devens, Massachusetts, and Camp Lee, Virginia before entering Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Edgeward, Maryland. George graduated as a Second Lieutenant in the 45th Infantry Division and was sent to Gadsden and then to Fort McClellan, Alabama for further training. While he was stationed in Alabama, George was promoted to Captain. He also met Willine Engel while visiting Birmingham, and the two began a relationship. George then received orders to report to the headquarters of the 65th Infantry Division at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. While in Shelby, George and Willine were married in spring 1944, and then George shipped out to Europe with the 65th. The 65th landed at Le Havre, France in January, 1945, and was deployed to the German border in March. In April, the division advanced into Bavaria and captured the city of Regensburg. On April 13, George arrived at the recently liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany. There he saw the abysmal living conditions and the sickly, emaciated corpses of the prisoners the guards killed before they fled. On April 20, the division liberated a subcamp in the Flossenbürg camp system. In May, the 65th captured the town of Passau, then moved into Austria and captured the city of Linz. On May 9, hostilities officially ended in Europe, George was among the troops of the 65th who made contact with the Russians at Erlauf. After the war, George was assigned to arrange for the separation of …
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
title: Framed annotated article from the 65th Halbert newsletter saved by a US soldier
archival history: The framed article was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2006 by Ronne Mitnick Hess, the daughter of J. George Mitnick.
has or had some members with language: eng
has end date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1987-12-31
has record set type: Item