Isaac Engel - June 16 & 25, 1992
Dora
And you--did they march you to Dora?
They didn't march. Here was this. They came in one day and they were looking for carpenters. So I told 'em I was a carpenter. Then they picked out a few people. I don't remember how many. And they left me there. Because I knew, if we don't go outta here--because in a place where they don't work and they don't give you--so this is, it was a matter of days, you know. So, the next day, they came in and they were looking for blacksmiths. So I told 'em I was a blacksmith. So--and they took me. So they took out, I don't know, thirty people-- maybe thirty-five. And we walked together. One were ho...holding at each other, then holding and we walked. It was only about four miles from there to Dora. And then we walked into Dora. First they took us in and they gave us a shower. It was the first shower we had in who knows how long. We left, of course, the dirty clothes. And we got a shower. And they gave us new clothes. Not new, these stripes, clean. Under, called. Under--and uh, and shoes, and a hat, and a coat--even a coat. Also in stripes. And they send us into a barrack, which this barrack was special. It had transport, the ones that came in. The, that transport, this was a barrack for people, new comers they come in. And then first they gave us, the first time, I'll never forget, a pl...a, a, not a, a dish, it was a dish with potatoes. Clean potatoes you know, skinned, skinned off potatoes. And a dish with soup--a full dish with soup. And, you know, filled up the stomach. This was unheard of in any--in the morning they gave us a piece of bread with margarine and a canned soup. And they gave us a b...a badge, a badge. Remember they were here, Ford Motor car company used to have badges?
Yeah.
When they used to go in the plant. Everybody had a badge, that they gave us a badge. This was badge was for going in, in the tunnel.
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