Context:

Eighty years after the Holocaust, Merrill Eisenhower Atwater, great-grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, warns of the rising denial of the Holocaust's severity. This warning coincides with the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe where the Nazis exterminated six million Jews. Atwater participated in the March of the Living, retracing the steps from Auschwitz to Birkenau alongside survivors, where he reflected on his great-grandfather's role in liberating concentration camps. Notable participants included Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke, who was born at Mauthausen concentration camp and attributes her survival to timing as the Nazis ran out of gas before her birth. Atwater emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the Holocaust's truth, despite the difficulty in comprehending the scale of the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany.

Dive Deeper:

• Eisenhower Atwater warns of the alarming rise in Holocaust denial 80 years after the event, emphasizing how some people downplay or deny the Holocaust's severity despite overwhelming evidence and documentation by the Nazis themselves.

• Victory in Europe Day is commemorated globally on May 8th, marking Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945, which ended a conflict that resulted in the death of 40 million people, including the systematic extermination of six million Jews.

• The March of the Living event retraces the path from Auschwitz to Birkenau, serving as a solemn tribute to Holocaust victims and survivors. Atwater participated in this march with thousands, honoring the bravery and resilience of those who survived.

• Eva Clarke, a Holocaust survivor born in Mauthausen concentration camp, shares her harrowing story of survival, crediting her birth to the Nazis running out of gas before she was born and the subsequent liberation by American forces.

• Atwater reflects on his great-grandfather's moral clarity and leadership in liberating concentration camps, acknowledging the moral obligation to remember and truthfully recount the Holocaust's horrors to prevent history from repeating itself.

• The march included notable figures like Israel Meir Lau, a former chief rabbi of Israel, and Chaim Herzog, who played roles in liberating concentration camps, highlighting the interconnected stories and legacies of those involved in the liberation efforts.

• Atwater underscores the importance of moral clarity and the human responsibility to recognize and remember the atrocities of the Holocaust, addressing the disbelief that fuels denial and emphasizing the documented truth of Nazi crimes.