Manabi Hirasaki
522nd Field Artillery Battalion
Manabi Hirasaki tells about why they were given orders not to give food to the starving Holocaust survivors. (Run time: 1:28)
Actually, he wasn't supposed to give them food because they haven't ate for a long time. And the officer says, "well, you better watch out how you give them food. They get diarrhea and everything. It might be worse." You know, for them because they're not used to food. But I used to see them when we throw away our food. A lot of times we gave them the food that we had - leftovers, but other times we threw it in the garbage. When you throw the food in the garbage, right after that, you dunk all your spoons and dishes in the soapy water and wash it out. And, with the soapy water and everything, you throw it in the garbage can again. Here these people were picking food out of the garbage can with that soapy water. I don't know what happened to them. I bet you they got diarrhea or something. I don't know how they can hold that food down because that soapy water was strong. And a lot of times we didn't mean to do it, but that's the way it happened. We had to clean our mess kit.
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