George Leitmann, a 99-year-old former soldier and Holocaust survivor, recalls his experiences during the final months of World War II as a member of the 286th Combat Engineer Battalion of the 6th US Army.

In the spring of 1945, Leitmann and his comrades entered Germany, amid the advancing Allied forces aimed at liberating Europe from National Socialism.

As the war drew to a close, the situation in Southern Germany was chaotic and unpredictable.

The Wehrmacht, alongside the SS, fought vigorously to maintain the crumbling Nazi regime.

Leitmann vividly remembers witnessing the aftermath of brutal violence against German civilians, including the horrific fate of children conscripted by the SS. According to Leitmann, he discovered a group of boys aged 10 to 12 who had been executed after being forced to take up arms against American tanks.

This grim encounter contributes to the haunting memories that have shaped his understanding of humanity.

The atrocities of war left Leitmann with profound doubts about human nature, with particularly troubling memories of his encounters with the consequences of Nazi violence.

The toll of the conflict was enormous, as historians estimate that World War II claimed over 60 million lives, including the systematic mass murder of approximately 1.5 million Jewish children during the Holocaust.

Leitmann himself is a product of a Jewish family that fled Austria following the Nazi annexation in 1938. His family immigrated to the United States in 1940, but his father, Josef, was unable to secure a visa and later perished during the war.

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This personal loss influenced Leitmann's decision to enlist in the US military as a means of fighting back against the very regime that tore his family apart.

After the war, Leitmann pursued a successful academic career, eventually becoming a professor of engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

He has received numerous accolades throughout his career.

At present, he resides in a retirement home in Berkeley, California, with his wife Nancy, who is also 100 years old.

The resurgence of fascist ideologies in contemporary politics is a significant concern for him.

He expressed apprehensions regarding political figures whose appeals evoke historical patterns of division and blame, echoing sentiments that were prevalent during the rise of fascism in the early 20th century.

In discussions about modern political environments, Leitmann emphasized the consequences of scapegoating and the importance of empathy and justice in maintaining societal cohesion.

As he approaches his 100th birthday in May 2025, Leitmann continues to grapple with complex questions stemming from his war experiences and the atrocities he witnessed, and he remains an articulate voice against the dangers of repeating history.