The Horse Adjutant
I enlisted into the Polish army. Meanwhile, I kept eating every chance I could, regaining my endurance and normal body weight. So, by the time I left Grybow, I was close to full strength and mental acuity and, before I knew it, I was no longer a prisoner, but a soldier, fully armed, and part of a fighting unit. There was a strong sense of vengeance in the air. The new Polish army, combined with the Russians, was still blistering mad for the years of abuse and punishment at the hands of the Nazis. They wanted to hurt them badly. What could be justice in comparison to the atroci- ties? Everyone was disrupted by the war, not just the Jews. Everyone on all sides had friends and family who were missing or killed. The Russians lost over 26.6 million people, the Americans 418 thousand, the Germans 6.6- 8.5 million, France 567 thousand, Poland 5.6- 5.8 million, with 2.3 million of them Jewish, and the poor Jews lost 6 million men, women, and children from all parts of Europe. I don’t know how to comprehend such a
Old Roman Arched bridge near my home.
Prior to demolishing the bridge, the Germans first loaded trains with heavy rocks. The weight of the cars amplified the damage. Our home was located so close our roof was damaged, as were others on my street.
great number of lost souls. Besides the loss in numbers, the Pole also lost almost all of their upper class; however, no group suffered greater than the Jews -- we lost our families, friends, communities, homes, businesses, property, an entire way of life. We were subjected to the systematic destruction of our entire race, eventually, the term Holocaust would come to define it. As soon as Max dropped me off and made sure I was safe with people he could trust, he went to work. It wasn’t simple vengeance, but justice he sought. With the scope of the war as broad and disruptive as it was, what was justice? Hitler did most of the damage, and now he was gone. His henchmen were running scared with every armed survivor looking for them. The Americans set up inspection stations. They were looking for small tattoos with blood types printed on them under the arm of the Germans. If they found a tattoo, it would mean the person was a member of the SS. Max Blauner gathered a small group of three trusted friends. They each wore the
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