28 September 07
I can't begin to explain today.
We went to a high school and some kids performed: African drumming, Alicia Keyes' "Woman's Worth", and one kid sang "Blowing in the Wind" and "Norweigan Wood" and played guitar. Some of the people on our tour couldn't walk much so they sat in the lobby. A group of "freshman" and their teacher came to ask questions and talk. It was really cool. It meant a lot to the men. I think it was healing to be received so warmly by the people of the town where they were in prison.
For lunch we were on our own in town. I went to a bakery and had a delicious mozerella sandwich. I even successfully ordered and paid in German. Everett joined me and we talked about the camp. He said the men were treated much better here than other camps. They pooled the food and had some in the barracks, but most in the mess hall. His barracks brewed Moonshine. One guy got caught drunk and was sentenced to be shot, but before that date came they were liberated. His group also made a skating rink.
After lunch we went to the DOK exhibition: "12 out of 750 years. Barth during Nazism 1933-1945". I never knew there was a concentration camp next to the prison camp. It was a work camp for whomever the Nazis hated. They built and painted airplane parts. That was the camp that is what you think of as a Nazi prison camp.
We went to the airport where the men were flown out after liberation. Martin and John were talking about things and I took a video but it was so windy.
(Side note: I'm watching a sort of German "I Love the 80's" - called "Chart Show". Wish I could understand it.)
Finally we went to the Stalag Luft 1 site, I went with Vicky, Mark, John T., other John and his son and walked back past the Flak school to the SW end of the camp. There is an old radar tower and a gate, but sadly they'd been dismantled/stripped since Vicky and John T. were there last year. I got some barbed wire.
I had dinner with Natalia Botova, daughter of the Russian General who liberated the camp. These situations boggle my mind. zB: 1945, 25 year old Pop-Pop is being liberated - why would he EVER think, "One day Gay's daughter will eat and travel with the daughter of this Russian." Natalia says it's God arranging it all. It's been amazing to listen to her, Martin, Gib, etc. discuss continuing to have Americans, Russians, Germans and different organizations work together and meet. Many people on this trip are Passionate about this.
I feel so blessed, and this trip is amazing.
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