Escape From a Death Camp

With all the exposure recently generated regarding John Demjanjuk’s and his deportation to Germany I have resolved myself to write this article with a survivalist slant to it. Mr. Demjanjuk is scheduled to stand trial for the suspected allegation of accessory to the murder involving 29,000 Jews at the Sobibor death camp. After three decades of litigation the assumed Nazi guard will finally stand trial. Here are a few important thoughts which come to my mind when I consider this situation and possible similar scenarios that could happen to us here in America.

During his forthcoming trial the jury will likely hear tales of how the 89-year-old Demjanjuk was employed as a prison guard at the facilities during the time of the great escape, which brings us to my immediate point. While serving in the military I was taught during our escape and invasion training to never give up and never stop trying to escape if captured. Escape is exactly what the prisoners at Sobibor did.

This particular German extermination camp was the site of one of the most successful uprising that was ever organized and accomplished by the Jewish prisoners from any camp known. Although there were also two additional uprisings, one at Treblinka and one at Auschwitz this one showed how teamwork and determination can work successfully together.

On the 14th of October 1943 several members of the extermination camp managed to successfully killing eleven of the camps SS officers and guards. Amazingly out of 600 inmates held in the camp 300 were able to escape. Unfortunately, many of these people were later caught and killed but the very act showed that resistance is perhaps the best policy to follow under these circumstances. Certain death was awaiting them anyway so they really had nothing to lose by trying to regain their freedom. This philosophy is just as good today as ever.

As a survivalist I feel that if America were attacked and our enemies were physically on our land similar situations could conceivably take place here. In such cases we too should consider that under no circumstances should we give up our fight to escape. We should organize and always watch all avenues in an effort to gain an advantage in achieving our goals of escaping.

When in the course of our own events we encounter such a situation let us keep this tale clearly in mind. It would serve us well to remember the actions of these courageous and brave men and women who dedicated their lives to freedom and refused to stand by and be slaughtered as sheep.