Next you will hear from Leon Bass, a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who liberated Buchenwald, a concentration camp in Germany.
Read Leon’s biography and then watch his clip of testimony.
About the Interviewee
Leon Bass, son of Henry and Nancy, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 23, 1925. Leon had four brothers and one sister. In September 1943, Leon volunteered for the U.S. Army. He served in the 183rd Engineer Combat Battalion; as a black soldier in a segregated unit he was treated like a second-class citizen. In April 1945, Leon’s unit helped with relief efforts at Buchenwald, a concentration camp in Germany. After the war, he earned his doctorate from Temple University. Leon became a teacher and a principal. This interview took place on August 12, 1998, in Newtown, Pennsylvania.