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The
Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education Remembers
Liberator Sergeant William A. Zocolo 1923-2006
William
"Bud" Zocolo entered the United States Army on January
17, 1943. After scoring highest in his class on leadership
skills during basic training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, he
became the youngest Non-Commissioned Officer in George Patton's
253rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion. When his unit landed
at Normandy, Sgt. Zocolo and his men provided artillery fire
supporting the front-line infantry ahead.
After
281 days marching east through difficult conditions, the men
of the 253rd reached Ohrdruf, the first concentration camp
liberated by American forces. The horrifying images of the
camp at liberation never left Sgt. Zocolo.
For his
courageous efforts during World War II, Sgt. Zocolo was awarded
the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American
Theatre Service Medal, European Theater Service Medal with
four Bronze Stars, the Victory Medal and France's Croix de
Guerre.
Bud Zocolo
died on July 25, 2006 at 83 years of age. June, his friend
and wife for most of 64 years, was at his side. A Twenty-One
gun salute was held in honor of Sgt. Zocolo.
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Experiences
of Local WWII Veterans Honored and Remembered
For
the first time, the youth of Cincinnati will experience the firsthand
accounts of the American soldiers in WWII liberating concentration
camps and bringing Nazi war criminals to justice.
The Center for
Holocaust and Humanity Education proudly announces the opening of
Liberation and Justice, a new chapter of the innovative, educational
exhibit, Mapping Our Tears. The new
testimonies reveal the eyewitness accounts of the liberation of
concentration camps from the perspectives of American military veterans,
Holocaust survivors and the unique experiences of the last living
interrogator from the Nuremberg trials.
Liberation and
Justice vividly brings to life the following new testimonies:
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John
Dolibois, the last living interrogator from the
Nuremberg trials, recounts his extensive conversations
and interactions with top-ranking Nazi officials. Dolibois’
illustrious career includes vice presidency of Miami University
and United States Ambassador to Luxembourg.
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WWII
Army Captains Milton Schloss and Elmer
Reis, both Cincinnati natives, share their common
experience of the liberation of Ohrdruf, the first slave
labor camp liberated by the American forces in Germany.
The descriptions and reflections of the two men are woven
together as they jointly explain how these experiences
changed their lives.
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As
one of only 75 prisoners found alive in Ohrdruf, Mr.
Henry Meyer recalls his experience of liberation.
He tells an amazing story of survival, of the countless
times his life was saved by chance, and the recognition
of his extraordinary musical talent. Mr. Meyer is a former
professor of music at the University of Cincinnati’s
College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), a recent inductee
into the Classical Music Hall of Fame, a virtuoso violinist
of the LaSalle Quartet and was a member of the Auschwitz
Orchestra.
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For more information
about Liberation and Justice, contact The Center at (513) 487-3055
or at chhe@huc.edu.
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