The Aquilian Gonzaga College High School
May 2016 Volume 78, Number 6
Men For Others Since 1821 www.theaquilian.com
19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001
Historic Holocaust Artifacts Found By: Holden Madison ‘16 Managing Editor Mr. Steve L. Kruskamp of the Gonzaga Network Operations Center spoke to The Aquilian recently about his discovery of some truly remarkable and rare Holocaust artifacts. This discovery happened at the same time the sophomore class was participating in its annual trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Each year at Gonzaga, sophomore religion classes are given a 3-hour, docent led, VIP tour of the Museum. For many students it is an opportunity to walk through the Museum’s permanent exhibition with
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someone who is a Holocaust survivor. For all of the sophomores it is a powerful experience. This year Gonzaga was very lucky to welcome Dr. Gideon Frieder, a Holocaust survivor, to the Sheehy Theater to speak to the entire sophomore class after all of the religion classes had completed their visits. Dr. Frieder spoke movingly about his family’s experience and offered the assembled students a rare glimpse into that era in world history. Here’s where the story takes an interesting turn. At the same time Gonzaga sophomores were making their visit to the Museum, a friend of Mr. Kruskamp’s was help-
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ing another friend prepare to move into an assisted living facility. In the process of clearing out they discovered four perfectly sealed and protected volumes of photographs and diary passages documenting the journey of one United States military officer named Kenneth Gosnell as he served in World War II, and the places he subsequently visited. He served in Corsica before making his way to Germany, passing by Hitler’s bombed retreat home. Toward the end of the war, the Nazis were frantically attempting to erase any trace of the Holocaust atrocities. Gosnell captured graphic photos of camp workers
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shoveling corpses into the furnaces, using large iron tongs to transport and dispose of the emaciated dead. In 1984, Gosnell predicted that one day people would deny the existence of the Holocaust and claim that it had never happened, but it was his dying wish that the evil events that unfolded across Germany never be forgotten. Painfully ironic, these volumes were dangerously close to becoming incinerated at a waste management facility. Mr. Kruskamp was able to bring the meticulously kept journals and photo albums into Gonzaga and showed them to Religion
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Department Chair, Dr. Rissetto. After looking at them together Dr. Rissetto suggested that they be brought to Dr. Frieder and his colleague from the Museum, Ms. Rebecca Dupas, Coordinator for Student Leadership Programs, while they were here on Eye Street. After Dr. Frieder had finished his presentation with the sophomore class, Mr. Kruskamp had a chance to discuss and share the rare historical find. Dr. Frieder and Ms. Dupas were both taken aback by the photos and letters the albums contained. They strongly encouraged Mr. Kruskamp to Continued on p. 2