Anthony Acevedo

Anthony Claude Acevedo (July 31, 1924 – February 11, 2018) was an American soldier during World War II. Acevedo's experiences as a prisoner of war in the Berga concentration camp, a subcamp of Buchenwald, became instrumental in documenting Nazi atrocities against American POWs. Notably, Acevedo kept a detailed diary during his captivity, recording the deaths and suffering of his fellow soldiers, which later served as crucial evidence of the camp's brutality.

Acevedo was born in San Bernardino, California, to a Mexican-American family, He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942. Captured during the Battle of the Bulge, he was wrongly classified as Jewish and sent to Berga, where he endured severe torture, including rape, and witnessed unspeakable horrors. Despite these experiences, Acevedo dedicated his postwar life to advocating for veterans, particularly those suffering from PTSD, and contributed significantly to raising awareness about the Berga survivors' plight. His diary, now housed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is a significant historical record of Nazi war crimes. Acevedo's life story also highlighted the US government's delayed recognition of the suffering of Berga survivors.

Early life Acevedo was born in San Bernardino, California, on July 31, 1924, to Francisco Guillermo Acevedo, an engineer from Mexico, and Maria Louisa Contreras (née Limantur) Acevedo. His early education was in San Bernardino, where he attended a local school for non-white students. Acevedo's father found employment as an engineer in Mexico City with the Pan-American Highway, and eventually became an official for the Federal Mexican Government. An American citizen by birthplace, he was summoned by the draft in 1942. He was therefore sent to O'Reilly General Hospital to receive medical training. After training he was sent to Camp Adair in Oregon and attached to the 91st Infantry Division. When this unit shipped out to Italy, Acevedo was not amongst them, as he had acquired a case of the measles. Instead, he was reassigned to Company B of the 70th Infantry Division, which was also at Camp Adair. This division was deployed to Marseilles in December 1944, crossing the ocean on the USS West Point. Initially, Acevedo was sent to the Stalag IX-B prison camp, and he spent a few weeks there. This diary also recorded notes on every detail of the camp and camp life that Acevedo saw, and he came to view this diary as his "lifeline". The U.S. Army maintains it was to protect escapees and the local populace who helped POWs, but it deeply hurt Acevedo that he was unable to share his experiences.

Personal life and beliefs

You only live once. Let's keep trucking. If we don't do that, who's going to do it for us? We have to be happy. Why hate? — Anthony Acevedo In 2008, an investigative report by CNN based on interviews with Acevedo was the catalyst for the U.S. government to finally acknowledge the experiences of the American soldiers held in the Berga concentration camp. His personal experiences enhanced Mexican-American understanding of the Holocaust.