Observing the Sabbath on the road to Bad Gastein 1945

Howard and Hilbert Margol served in the 42nd Infantry Rainbow Division during World War II.

The twin brothers were born in 1924 in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1942, they began attending the University of Florida and joined the ROTC.

They joined an Army Reserve unit in October 1942 and were called to active duty on April 3, 1943, reporting to Camp Blanding, Florida. After basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, they were offered the opportunity to attend officer training, but turned it down anticipating it would mean separation.

Then, the brothers were sent to The Citadel in South Carolina to take engineering courses as part of the Army Specialized Training Program. After a few months at Syracuse University, followed by a few at the University of Illinois, the Army decided to cancel the program. This meant thousands of young soldiers could be sent to various Infantry divisions for combat training.

The brothers were separated when Hilbert was sent to Camp Gruber in Oklahoma and Howard went to the Mojave Desert in California. Their mother wrote to President Roosevelt requesting her sons be reunited and serve together.

The brothers were reunited and in January of 1945 boarded a ship for Marseilles, France. The 42nd Infantry were liberators of Dachau Concentration Camp in April 1945. Hilbert shared this history with me in February of 2021, which can be found at appenmedia.com. It was an emotional experience for the Jewish brothers; however, Howard said the following incident was more emotional for him.

Following the liberation of Dachau and after the European war ended May 8, 1945, both brothers were in Munich, Germany, close to the Austrian border. Once again, they were separated although both performing duties as part of the occupation.

Howard was part of a group that moved former Jewish prisoners of the Ebensee Concentration Camp to a Displaced Persons Camp at Bad Gastein. Some 150 vehicles were used to make the trip to the Austrian spa and ski town in the High Tauern mountains of Salzburg, Austria.

On the trip to Bad Gastein, sundown approached on a Friday evening and the former prisoners came to a stop and refused to go further. They said it was the start of the Sabbath. Although their destination was a fancy hotel where hot food, hot baths, and clean clothes awaited, they wanted to stop along the road. After having been deprived of the ability to practice their religion for so long, they finally had freedom and wanted to observe the Sabbath.

From sunset Friday until sunset Saturday, the procession came to a stop. A camp was set up along the road, and food and supplies were brought to the location.

In the July-August 2013 issue of The Jewish Georgian, Howard Margol said, “For years, the Jews in that group of survivors were not allowed to practice their Judaism.” Their faith “gave them something to hold on to, to look forward to and a way to survive against all odds. I think it was also their way of showing that they won, and Hitler lost.”

There was a period of adjustment when they arrived at Bad Gastein. It had been a long time since they had freedom, food and a bed.

During the war, Bad Gastein was used for convalescing German soldiers. In addition to housing Jews who had been imprisoned at Ebensee, the former spa was also used for soldiers of the 42nd Infantry to rest and recover as well as for the football squad to train.

In early August, 1945, the U.S. Army decided that every division remaining in Europe would form a football team to promote morale. Hilbert Margol applied to be on the team and was accepted. He was transported to Bad Gastein to begin training.

Another detail the 42nd Infantry was assigned to guard SS prisoners in a former Austrian Army stockade. The prisoners were taken to nearby forests almost every day to chop down trees for use by civilian and military facilities.

After the last football game, Hilbert Margol returned to his gun battery near Salzburg, Austria, and reunited with Howard. They enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner at an old monastery that would be their home for a while.

The brothers returned to the U.S. on the same ship in March 1946.

Hilbert Margol will present the story of his brother Howard’s experiences following the end of World War II in Europe, as well as some of his own memories at the next Atlanta WWII Round Table meeting. The meeting takes place Feb. 18 at Dunwoody United Methodist Church. Visit atlantawwiiroundtable.org for more information, including how to reserve a place at this event.

Hilbert Margol has fittingly named his presentation “Riding To Freedom” and will share the story of his brother, Howard, who died Feb. 9, 2017.