A True American Liberator

Eugene Parmer was born in Iron Hill, Iowa. He moved 40 miles north to the quiet town of Maquoketa before he went to fight in World War II. He joined the 92nd Signal Battalion, which furnished communications for the United States Army. While serving in Europe, Eugene was ordered to join American soldiers liberating the Dachau concentration camp near Munich, Germany. His order was to investigate the camp's communication equipment and report his findings to his commanding officer. When he...
More Description

Eugene Parmer was born in Iron Hill, Iowa. He moved 40 miles north to the quiet town of Maquoketa before he went to fight in World War II. He joined the 92nd Signal Battalion, which furnished communications for the United States Army. While serving in Europe, Eugene was ordered to join American soldiers liberating the Dachau concentration camp near Munich, Germany. His order was to investigate the camp's communication equipment and report his findings to his commanding officer. When he arrived at Dachau, Eugene didn't want to park his weapons carrier at the main gate, so he drove to the side of the camp. There he saw coal cars parked on railroad tracks that led out of the camp. He was curious, so he climbed the ladder. Eugene was shocked by what he saw. There was no coal. The train car was full of human bodies. Then he looked in the second car, and there were even more bodies. What he saw appalled him and made him physically sick. He returned to the gate and shot the lock off with his revolver. Immediately, a prisoner yelled, "Don't open the gate!" This man told other prisoners to stay back, but then he disappeared. The prisoners didn't obey him and mobbed Eugene. The frightened soldier fell to the ground, assuming they were after his rifle. But the Jewish prisoners did not want his rifle, nor did they want to harm him. They wanted his American flag lapel pin, the Signal Corps insignia. They wanted the flag of their liberator. The English-speaking prisoner quickly returned with something to secure the gate. He wanted that gate shut! Eugene removed his pin and gave it to the man. The others backed away. "Do you have some spare time?" asked the prisoner. "Follow me." As they walked past buildings, Eugene saw more death. The horrors were everywhere. Then, the prisoner suggested he get his rifle ready. Eugene wondered what was going to happen.They uncovered a guard who had hidden when the camp was liberated. He was terrified of the angry prisoners. Another guard was hiding in a 55-gallon container of human waste. When they tipped it over, the guard fell out. Their lives were in danger. The Nazi guards had been cruel, and now, the prisoners wanted revenge. Eugene needed to stay focused on his task, and asked the English-speaking prisoner to show him the signal equipment. Finally, his mission was accomplished. The young soldier returned to his regular duties. Those horrible memories of war stayed with Eugene his whole life. Years later, at a program honoring veterans, he listened to a grateful Holocaust survivor speak. While she shared her memories, Eugene felt sick all over again, just as he had when he saw the bodies at Dachau. After the war, Eugene returned to Iowa. When asked what message he'd like to share with students, he replied: "Children should see pictures and realize what could happen if we lost our freedom. I have no words to express my feelings towards these people. If I hadn't seen it, I don't know if I would've believed it. It happened." Eugene Parmer died at home April 27, 2013, at the age of 96.