When I first read about Colonel Richard R. Seibel, I felt hope for the human spirit and I knew that it would never die, no matter the circumstances. From my own point of view, Colonel Seibel was nothing short of a hero and his contributions to the world should forever be recognized and remembered. He was a war veteran that saved the lives of many liberated souls. His knowledge of the human body, along with his strong determination and ability to seize control were a key factor in the survival of countless imprisoned people.
Colonel Seibel recorded his memories of those events in an interview and that interview is archived in the official website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. From the video archives, one can see that Colonel Seibel had a carefree, optimistic spirit. That was probably one of the reasons he could've communicated so well with those that were imprisoned in the Mauthausen, Austria concentration camp.
English: Starved prisoners, nearly dead from hunge...
Buchenwald Corpses 07511
Interior shot of the glass bridges within the Unit...Immediately after the discovery of death and concentration camps, Allied troops began sending food and medical supplies to save those who had survived the cruelty and brutality of these camps. Colonel Seibel arrived in Mauthausen shortly after its liberation and was put in charge of the camp. Most historians believe he was the highest-ranking American officer to command a concentration camp. He remained there for three months to maintain order and look over the well-being of 18,000 survivors.
The colonel was advised not to feed the survivors a lot of food early on because their diet was not used to that much intake of food. They had very little food every day and he understood that it would take time for their bodies to get used to the sufficient amount of food needed to be healthy. I'm sure he...