Rose Green - May 21, 2008
Liberation
Tell me about liberation.
Ah, liberation. There was a woman--one of the women--she was a German girl--she had a baby that night, when, when the Germans were leaving. And there was a German doctor, he was a nasty pig, and he was helping her with the baby, and he got so like a lamb. That night he was like a lamb. He was afraid or something, so he wanted to be nice to us. So, and I--the lights went out and everything, so I was there and holding a candle while he was helping her with the, with the baby and he was very gentle with her and very nice. So that's what happened. Next morning the Russians came in. The Germans left and he told me that uh, "??? You stay well and I, I...
Have to go.
...have to go." He was ??? and I thought to myself, "Go to hell, all of you." And uh, so then uh, then he took care of that woman very well. I, I watched them. It was okay. She had a healthy, nice baby; like my baby was seven and a half pounds. Beautiful baby, he was a beautiful baby. So, so that's, that's what happened. And then in the morning the Russians came in. And the first soldier who stepped into the camp, I greeted him. I was at the door there. And they took out the--we didn't have any electricity in the last--already in the camp, we didn't have it for a long time anymore in the last camp I was. And uh, so uh, he came in and I went to him and uh, asked him, "What's, what's your name?" I hugged him--first of all I hugged him and I asked him what's his name. And he told me, "Ja Ivan, I am Ivan." So I told myself, "Now I have a name for my baby if he's a boy." I still didn't have my baby until two weeks later, you know. So, I knew. And I always liked that name anyway. So, so that's how, that's what happened.
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