Americans continue to return to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camps annually to mark their liberation by the 3rd U.S. Army, which occurred 80 years ago. This year's commemoration was attended by descendants of survivors and liberators, as well as "Mauthausen Babies," who were born in the camp shortly before its liberation.
The U.S. delegation at the International Liberation Ceremony was led by Chargé d’Affaires Kami Witmer, Major General Peter Andrysiak, Chief of Staff of the U.S. European Command, and Ellen Germain, the State Department’s Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper from the Simon Wiesenthal Center participated with family members in carrying a replica of the "Mauthausen flag," originally created by survivors to welcome their liberators in 1945.
"We remember the victims and survivors of the atrocities of World War II and the resilience of those who endured unimaginable suffering," said a statement from the event. It also emphasized celebrating "the sacrifice and heroism of the brave American and allied troops who fought for their freedom."
The ceremony served as a reminder that these memories should inspire ongoing commitment to remembering history's horrors and educating future generations.