American Soldier Defies Orders and Rescues Thousands From Mass Execution
Thousands of people lived to tell their tales of horror as inmates of the Nazi Death Camp at Mauthausen, Austria because one American soldier defied orders and took his platoon of 23 men to save them from a mass execution. That soldier was Sergeant Albert Kosiek from Chicago---and---his story is one of those told in the international best seller "Born Survivors."
As part of George Patton’s 3rd Army---on the morning of May 5th, 1945---as WWII was winding down. His assignment was to do a check on the condition of bridges as American troops were advancing. A chance meeting with a member of the Red Cross led him to his fateful decision. Heinrich Himmler (pictured) had ordered all the remaining inmates to be herded into a cave and then guards were to blow up the cave. Kosiek was asked to intervene at the death camp---but---was ordered not to. He chose to ignore those orders and save the inmates.
Three of the people saved that day were infants born in the concentration camp. Larry Kosiek--Albert's son---and---two of those infants will be on hand at the Lake Geneva Public Library Saturday as the author of "Born Survivors"---Wendy Holden---discusses her book and their stories.
The program is free and open to the public. It starts at 10:30 tomorrow morning.